The State of the World's Children 2023

This report from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) examines the issue of routine vaccination for children worldwide and how to ensure that every child across the globe is protected against vaccine-preventable diseases. The report finds that one in five children worldwide are under-vaccinated, or have missed out partially or entirely on routine immunization–putting children’s health at risk. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the report highlights that the crisis disrupted over a decade of gains toward routine childhood immunization– leaving 67 million children under-vaccinated between 2019 and 2021. The report discusses the impact of the pandemic on immunization, along with how gender, marginalization, and poverty, impact child vaccination rates. The report analyzes ways to strengthen primary health care to bolster immunization services and also discusses innovations in vaccine development and delivery.

The report includes several country case studies detailing stories of individuals, healthcare workers, and families related to vaccination access and coverage. Accompanying the report is an executive summary, regional briefs, and interactive data visualizations.

Chapters include: 

• Chapter 1: How the COVID-19 Pandemic Set Back Vaccination
• Chapter 2:  Zero-Dose Children Matter
• Chapter 3: Immunization and Primary Health Care
• Chapter 4: How Can We Build Vaccine Confidence?
• Chapter 5: Funding and Innovation for the Future
• Chapter 6: For Every Child, Vaccination: An Equity Agenda

Launched in 1980, The State of the World’s Children is the most comprehensive analysis of global trends affecting children. Each year, this flagship publication by UNICEF examines a key issue affecting children across the globe, and provides up-to-date and accessibly presented economic and social statistics on the countries and territories of the world, with particular reference to children’s well-being. All previous reports are made publicly available on UNICEF’s website and can be read in multiple languages.