Figure 1.1.Almost half of the world's children live in urban areas World population(0-19 years old) 27% 30% 33% 1955 1965 1975 services.Such disaggregated information is hard to find, that children confront.These instances show that it is however,and for the most part development is pursued, possible to fulfil commitments to children-but only and resources allocated,on the basis of statistical aver- if all children receive due attention and investment ages.One consequence of this is that children living and if the privilege of some is not allowed to obscure in informal settlements and impoverished neighbour- the disadvantages of others.Accordingly,the final hoods are excluded from essential services and social chapter of this report identifies broad policy actions that protection to which they have a right.This is happen- should be included in any strategy to reach excluded chil- ing as population growth puts existing infrastructure dren and foster equity in urban settings riven by disparity. and services under strain and urbanization becomes nearly synonymous with slum formation.According to the United Nations Human Settlements Programme An urban future (UN-Habitat),one city dweller in three lives in slum By 2050,7 in 10 people will live in urban areas.Every conditions,lacking security of tenure in overcrowded, year,the world's urban population increases by approx- unhygienic places characterized by unemployment, imately 60 million people.Most of this growth is pollution,traffic,crime,a high cost of living,poor taking place in low-and middle-income countries.Asia service coverage and competition over resources. is home to half of the world's urban population and 66 out of the 100 fastest-growing urban areas,33 of This report focuses mainly on those children in urban which are in China alone.Cities such as Shenzhen,with a settings all over the world who face a particularly 10 per cent rate of annual increase in 2008,are doubling complex set of challenges to their development and the in population every seven years.2 Despite a low overall fulfilment of their rights.Following an overview of the rate of urbanization,Africa has a larger urban population world's urban landscape,Chapter 2 looks at the status than North America or Western Europe,and more than of children in urban settings through the lens of inter- 6 in 10 Africans who live in urban areas reside in slums. national human rights instruments and development goals.Chapter 3 examines some of the phenomena New urban forms are evolving as cities expand and shaping the lives of children in urban areas,from their merge.Nearly 10 per cent of the urban population is reasons for coming to the city and their experience of found in megacities-each with more than 10 million migration to the challenges posed by economic shocks, people -which have multiplied across the globe. violence and acute disaster risk. New York and Tokyo,on the list since 1950,have been joined by a further 19,all but 3 of them in Asia, Clearly,urban life can be harsh.It need not be.Many Latin America and Africa.Yet most urban growth is cities have been able to contain or banish diseases that taking place not in megacities but in smaller cities and were widespread only a generation ago.Chapter 4 pre- towns,home to the majority of urban children and sents examples of efforts to improve the urban realities young people.3 THE STATE OF THE WORLD'S CHILDREN 20122 THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2012 services. Such disaggregated information is hard to find, however, and for the most part development is pursued, and resources allocated, on the basis of statistical aver￾ages. One consequence of this is that children living in informal settlements and impoverished neighbour￾hoods are excluded from essential services and social protection to which they have a right. This is happen￾ing as population growth puts existing infrastructure and services under strain and urbanization becomes nearly synonymous with slum formation. According to the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), one city dweller in three lives in slum conditions, lacking security of tenure in overcrowded, unhygienic places characterized by unemployment, pollution, traffic, crime, a high cost of living, poor service coverage and competition over resources. This report focuses mainly on those children in urban settings all over the world who face a particularly complex set of challenges to their development and the fulfilment of their rights. Following an overview of the world’s urban landscape, Chapter 2 looks at the status of children in urban settings through the lens of inter￾national human rights instruments and development goals. Chapter 3 examines some of the phenomena shaping the lives of children in urban areas, from their reasons for coming to the city and their experience of migration to the challenges posed by economic shocks, violence and acute disaster risk. Clearly, urban life can be harsh. It need not be. Many cities have been able to contain or banish diseases that were widespread only a generation ago. Chapter 4 pre￾sents examples of efforts to improve the urban realities that children confront. These instances show that it is possible to fulfil commitments to children – but only if all children receive due attention and investment and if the privilege of some is not allowed to obscure the disadvantages of others. Accordingly, the final chapter of this report identifies broad policy actions that should be included in any strategy to reach excluded chil￾dren and foster equity in urban settings riven by disparity. An urban future By 2050, 7 in 10 people will live in urban areas. Every year, the world’s urban population increases by approx￾imately 60 million people. Most of this growth is taking place in low- and middle-income countries. Asia is home to half of the world’s urban population and 66 out of the 100 fastest-growing urban areas, 33 of which are in China alone. Cities such as Shenzhen, with a 10 per cent rate of annual increase in 2008, are doubling in population every seven years.2 Despite a low overall rate of urbanization, Africa has a larger urban population than North America or Western Europe, and more than 6 in 10 Africans who live in urban areas reside in slums. New urban forms are evolving as cities expand and merge. Nearly 10 per cent of the urban population is found in megacities – each with more than 10 million people – which have multiplied across the globe. New York and Tokyo, on the list since 1950, have been joined by a further 19, all but 3 of them in Asia, Latin America and Africa. Yet most urban growth is taking place not in megacities but in smaller cities and towns, home to the majority of urban children and young people.3 Figure 1.1. Almost half of the world’s children live in urban areas World population (0–19 years old) 27% 1955 30% 1965 33% 1975