The Right Start in Life: Global levels and trends in birth registration
2024 update
Society first acknowledges a child’s existence and identity through birth registration. The right to be recognized as a person before the law is a critical step in ensuring lifelong protection and is a prerequisite for exercising all other rights.
This publication draws from more than 500 data sources spanning a period of more than 20 years to present updated global and regional estimates of the number of unregistered children under age 5 and under age 1. The report also includes estimates on children and infants without birth certificates, both globally and across regions. In addition, it assesses progress over time and presents evidence for the amount of effort that will be needed – at both global and regional levels – to ensure that all children can realize their inherent birth right to a legal identity.
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Where we stand today: The birth registration of children under 5
The world is home to over 200 million children under 5 without a birth certificate: this includes 150 million unregistered children and 55 million children whose births are reported as registered but lack proof in the form of a birth certificate. Countries with the lowest levels of birth registration are primarily found in sub-Saharan Africa.
Where we stand today: The birth registration of children under 1
Today, 53 million infants lack a birth certificate: This includes 37 million babies who are unregistered and 16 million whose births are reported as registered but who lack proof in the form of a birth certificate. Nearly 3 in 10 infants worldwide have not been registered; and 4 in 10 infants do not possess a birth certificate.
