Millions of poor children in urban areas are more likely to die young than those in rural areas.

In one in four countries, the poorest children in the urban environment are more likely to die before the age of five than the poorest children in rural areas; In addition, in one of every six countries they have less possibilities to complete primary school than those in rural areas, according to a new UNICEF report.

The report Advantage or paradox: the challenge for children and young people growing up in cities shows that not all children benefit from the so-called "urban advantage", according to which the inhabitants of urban areas live better because they have higher incomes, infrastructures better and closer proximity to services.

According to the study, in cities, inequality, exclusion and obstacles to achieving well-being - such as environmental and health threats - can lead to an "urban paradox" in which many urban residents, including children , suffer more severe hardships than those of rural areas.

"For parents in rural areas, the reasons for leaving the cities seem obvious: better access to jobs, health care and educational opportunities for their children," explains Laurence Chandy, director of Data, Research and Policy at UNICEF. "But not all urban children are benefiting in the same way, we have proof that millions of children living in cities are worse off than their peers who live in rural areas.

" Inequality in cities According to the report, 4.3 million poor children living in cities are more likely to die before their fifth birthday than their peers in rural areas. Also, 13.4 million poor children in urban areas are less likely to complete primary school than those in rural areas. After analyzing ten indicators of child welfare in 77 countries, mostly middle and low income, the report confirms that, on average, in most countries children in the urban environment are better off than those in rural areas. But these averages hide enormous inequality in urban areas. In fact,

 when comparing the situation of urban and rural households of similar wealth levels, the urban advantage is not so evident. "Children should be taken into account in urban planning, but in many cities they are forgotten and millions of children lack social services in urban slums and informal settlements, where they are exposed to environmental and health risks due to overpopulation," adds Chandy.

 "Implementing solutions to urban development and planning is fundamental to stop these social and economic inequalities." Suburbs It is estimated that more than 1 billion people live in suburbs, hundreds of millions of them children. Africa and Asia are rapidly urbanizing, and it is estimated that by 2030, seven of the ten largest cities in the world will be in Asia.

The urban population in Africa is the fastest growing, with an annual growth rate of 3.7%. The report also highlights that inequalities within the urban environment itself can be attributed to limited access to essential services. For example, in half of the countries analyzed, the poorest children in urban areas are twice as likely to access basic sanitation services as those in wealthier urban households.

In the absence of innovative ways to support poor children in urban areas, inequality could be expanded, and an increasing number of these children will be excluded from overall progress. The necessary measures The report asks urban authorities and the global community for a series of actions, such as making urban areas an integral part of programming for children, including the most vulnerable; or develop the capacities of inclusive urban planning at all levels of government: national, regional and local.

It also calls for the development of urban infrastructure and services systems to be accelerated in order to keep pace with the current trends of rapid urbanization; that new solutions be found to mobilize financial resources that improve urban systems and increase equality in urban areas; and greater investment to obtain better data and better use existing ones, in order to understand the full scope and dimensions of urban inequality.

For the elaboration of the report, the poorest children in urban areas were considered those who are in households belonging to the bottom 20% in the distribution of wealth. Infant mortality was studied in 56 countries, representing 28% of the global population. The completion rate of primary education was analyzed in 77 countries, which represent 51% of the world population.

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