Innocenti Social Monitor Innocenti Social Monitor 2006 Understanding child poverty in South-Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States © 2006 United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) ISBN 10: 88-89129-44-1 ISBN 13: 978-88-89129-44-9 Layout: Bernard & Co, Siena, Italy Printing: Tipografia Giuntina, Florence, Italy FOREWORD The Innocenti Social Monitor 2006: Understanding the region, income poverty faced by children has child poverty in South-Eastern Europe and the declined and access to basic social services has been Commonwealth of Independent States (SEE/CIS) maintained at good levels, in some cases improved addresses the situation of children living in poverty in compared with the most difficult period of the transi- a widely heterogeneous region. tion. These critical indications of progress suggest a The aim of this study is to present new knowledge and continuous opportunity for advancing children’s devel- contribute a child-centered methodological approach to opment and improving their living conditions. enhance understanding of the multidimensional nature Nonetheless, the Innocenti Social Monitor 2006 shows of child poverty. Framed by the political commitments that the enjoyment of human rights remains severely undertaken at the UN Millennium Assembly and the compromised for some groups of children. An estimat- Special Session on Children, and anchored on univer- ed 18 million children under 15 years of age live in sal human rights values, the Innocenti Social Monitor extreme income poverty in the region. Child poverty 2006 is designed to stimulate effective policy respons- declined in almost all the countries since 1998, but at a es and action in countries of the SEE/CIS region lower pace than adults and in the context of a sharp towards the decisive improvement of children’s lives. decline in the child population of the region. Moreover, Children experience poverty in a different way from disparities in child well-being have increased and adults. Poverty compromises children’s daily lives poverty is now more concentrated in specific groups and has a cumulative and negative impact on their facing greater risks: children in large or non-nuclear future. Moreover, children are strongly dependent on families, children living in institutions, in rural areas their family care and protection, and on public policies and disadvantaged regions, and children belonging to to overcome deprivation and social exclusion and pro- ethnic minorities. It is also among these vulnerable mote their development. The response calls for well- groups that improvements in health indicators have targeted and child sensitive policy measures. been slow, and enrollment in pre-school and higher sec- ondary education are lagging behind. The lives and livelihoods of families and children across South-Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth To address these challenges and break the inter-gener- of Independent States have undergone dramatic change ational transmission of poverty, the Innocenti Social during the past decade and a half. In the most recent Monitor 2006 calls for child centered policy past the change has been marked by improvement, in approaches and the allocation of adequate resources. terms of the resources and choices available to the fam- Guided by the human rights principles of universality, ily, and the opportunity for individuals and communi- accountability and monitoring of progress, it places a ties to engage in policies that affect them. In most of strong emphasis on actions targeting the most vulner- Innocenti Social Monitor 2006 iii able groups of children and on safeguarding “the right policies for children living in poverty. It also strongly of every child to a standard of living adequate for the makes the case for a more systematic collection of rel- child’s physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social evant information through a range of survey instru- development”, as called for by the Convention on the ments with special attention to the most vulnerable Rights of the Child. groups of children; those who remain largely invisible in statistical data, information and analysis. Building upon the poverty reduction efforts being made in the region, there is a clear opportunity to place chil- Overcoming child poverty, and reducing disadvantage dren high in the national agenda and to give a stronger and disparities are fundamental for advancing chil- visibility to their well-being. At the same time, under- dren’s rights in the region; they are also an investment standing the reality of children living in poverty, who towards meeting the development challenges ahead – they are, where they live and the deprivation they suf- to arrive at healthy, knowledge-based competitive fer, is still hampered by the lack of appropriate data. societies where every child can grow up to become all For this reason, the Innocenti Social Monitor 2006 she or he can be. illustrates how governments and national research institutions can use existing data and analysis to stimu- Marta Santos Pais late national debate, and to develop and implement Director, UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre iv Innocenti Social Monitor 2006 CONTENTS Executive Summary ......................................................................................................................................................................... 1 1 Challenges to Understanding Child Poverty ........................................................................................... 7 2 Children Living in Income Poverty .................................................................................................................. 23 3 Children and Social Services .................................................................................................................................... 41 4 Social Transfers and Children ................................................................................................................................. 65 5 Addressing Child Poverty in SEE/CIS: Policy Recommendations ......................... 83 Notes ................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 89 References .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 93 Statistical Annex .............................................................................................................................................................................. 97 Technical Notes and Glossary .......................................................................................................................................... 124 Innocenti Social Monitor 2006 v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Innocenti Social Monitor 2006: Understanding Child Poverty in South-Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States is a product of a more than decade long dialogue with governments, national statistical offices and research institutions, with UNICEF offices and other development partners concerned with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States, and the accumulated experience by UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre of monitoring and analyzing the situation of children in the countries of the region. Specific research for the Social Monitor 2006 was organized by Gerry Redmond and conducted principally by him and Leonardo Menchini. Kitty Stewart and Carmen Huerta (London School of Economics and Political Science) contributed research for chapter 4, which appears as Innocenti Working Paper 2006-01. Virginija Cruijsen prepared the tables for the Statistical Annex and advised on data issues. Francesca Francavilla and Stefano Morandini assisted in the data review and bibliographic referencing. This Report has been written by Sheila Marnie, Leonardo Menchini and Gerry Redmond. Eva Jespersen (Chief, Social and Economic Policies Unit) was responsible for the overall development of the Report. Cinzia Iusco Bruschi provided administrative and secretarial support. The text was copy-edited by Ann Bone. The IRC Communication and Partnership Unit arranged the production of the Report. The study benefited from advice and comments from Marta Santos Pais (Director, IRC), David Parker (Deputy Director, IRC), Gordon Alexander and Fabio Sabatini (both of the UNICEF Regional Office for CEE/CIS, Geneva), Gáspár Fajth (Division of Policy and Planning, UNICEF New York) and Jacques van der Gaag (University of Amsterdam), and on specific aspects from Albert Motivans (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, Montreal), Martin Godfrey (consultant to the UNICEF Regional Office for CEE/CIS), Marc Suhrcke (WHO European Office for Investment for Health and Development, Venice) and Ruslan Yemtsov (Europe and Central Asia Region, World Bank, Washington, DC). The research also received valuable direction and feedback from additional participants in three expert consulta- tions held at IRC in January, June and November 2005: Angela Baschieri, University of Southampton; Professor Giovanni Andrea Cornia, University of Florence; Brid Costello and Patricia Cullen, Irish Aid, Dublin; Melita Dimza, Eurostat Statistical Trainee, IRC; Professor Vladimir Echenique, Moscow State University; Professor Jane Falkingham, University of Southampton; Caroline Harper, Overseas Development Institute, London;