UNICEF Office of Research - Innocenti

22/09/2026

For millions of children, going to school still means facing unsafe water, inadequate toilets and nowhere to wash their hands.

According to the latest estimates from the UNICEF and World Health Organization (WHO) Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP), at school:

🔹 429 million children lacked a basic drinking water service,

🔹 460 million lacked a basic sanitation service and

🔹 545 million lacked a basic hygiene service in 2025.

Children in some countries are more affected than in others. In low-income countries, only 54 per cent of schools had basic drinking water services, 50 per cent had basic sanitation services, and 35 per cent had basic hygiene services. In high-income countries, more than 99 per cent of schools had access to all three services.

A lot of progress still needs to be made to ensure water . How can this be done? Explore the Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene in schools report to learn more:

Progress on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene in schools 2015-2025 WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) September 2026 Publications The WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) produces internationally comparable estimates of progress on...

11/09/2026

Nearly a quarter of children surveyed in the Dominican Republic were subjected to technology-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse in just one year, according to a report we launched with ECPAT International, INTERPOL HQ, Safe Online and UNICEF República Dominicana.

Boys were more likely to be exposed to unwanted sexual content, while girls were more likely to receive unwanted requests for sexual images. Abuse may look different, but every child needs to be supported to recognize it and seek help.

The report calls for action to challenge attitudes that normalize abuse, help children understand consent and boundaries and recognize pressure or manipulation, and strengthen child-centred reporting pathways: https://safeonline.global/disrupting-harm-2/

03/09/2026

An estimated 20 million children aged 12 to 17 – almost 1 in 5 – were subjected to at least one form of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse in a single year across 21 countries, according to a new hashtag report we released today.

"Through Children's Eyes: How Digital Technologies Enable Child Sexual Abuse" combines children’s testimonies with one of the largest bodies of available survey data to warn of a widespread trend of child sexual abuse and exploitation – both online and offline – enabled by technology: https://www.unicef.org/innocenti/reports/through-childrens-eyes

31/08/2026

Vaccines are essential for children to grow up healthy and thrive.

Swipe to discover how the world is doing in ensuring immunization with the Estimates of National Immunization Coverage (WUENIC) released annually by World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF.

Learn more: https://data.unicef.org/topic/child-health/immunization/

24/08/2026

What do children think about AI? 💭

Optimism mixed with worry about the future, a desire to avoid over-reliance, a focus on developing transferable skills, and a need for more skills provision in an uncertain world.

These are some insights shared by children on how they feel about the future and the skills they think will be important tomorrow in five countries across Africa as part of UNICEF’s ‘Skills for an AI world’ initiative.

🔗Learn more: https://www.unicef.org/innocenti/stories/skills-ai-world-where-we-may-be-tomorrow

18/08/2026

Would you feel safe receiving health care without reliable water, clean toilets or proper environmental cleaning?

For millions of children, patients and health workers, this is still a reality.

A new report on water, sanitation and hygiene in healthcare facilities by World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF finds that in 2025, only 40% of healthcare facilities met basic sanitation standards. For children, these gaps can mean greater exposure to preventable infections and health risks.

Read the full report to see where progress is being made and where urgent action is still needed: https://data.unicef.org/resources/jmp-wash-in-health-care-facilities-2026/

12/08/2026

Young people around the world are leading and creating a sustainable future.

This , meet Moono, Reissa, Samuel and Alexia, UNICEF Innocenti Youth Fellows on . From Zambia, Indonesia, Nigeria and the United States, they are creating change in their communities and collaborating with us to document what works in climate education to share that evidence with policymakers and decision-makers along with other fellows.

Learn more about the fellowship:

https://www.unicef.org/innocenti/unicef-innocenti-youth-fellowship

03/08/2026

Why is data essential for protecting children's rights?

Children are growing up in a world of increasing conflict, digital disruption and climate shocks – and these changes are bringing new threats. To better understand the challenges and opportunities children face, and to set effective strategies for progress, high-quality evidence is vital.

At UNICEF Innocenti, we know that stronger evidence leads to better decisions. And better decisions mean better lives .

16/07/2026

This is how a child in the United States imagines a better digital future.

In consultations across seven countries, children shared their hopes for technologies that are safer, kinder and more inclusive. They also voiced concerns about AI taking jobs away, cyberbullying and becoming disconnected from the physical world around them.

Children are not passive users of digital technologies. They are thoughtful observers, critics and shapers of the worlds they inhabit.

Find out what their reflections can teach us about building technology that truly serves children’s best interests in our new article: https://www.unicef.org/innocenti/stories/seeing-tomorrow-digital-futures-through-childrens-eyes

14/07/2026

As the World Cup finals are capturing the world's attention, let's remember that football begins with a child, a ball, and the right to play. Every child should get that chance, but not every child gets it.

Recent research found that:
⚽ more than 90 million children under 5 have no toys or playthings
⚽ more than 80 million young children do not play regularly with caregivers at home.

Play is crucial for children – it builds creativity, it fosters social skills and it builds resilience. Let’s protect play .

🔗 Visit “The Power of Play” to learn more: https://data.unicef.org/resources/the-power-of-play/