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A statistical update on birth registration in Africa

Of the 164 million unregistered children under 5 worldwide, more than half (around 91 million) live in Africa, according to this new statistical update on birth registration in Africa, published by UNICEF in partnership with the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). Nearly half of all African children under 5 are unregistered, but levels vary widely across countries and regions. Around 20 countries on the continent are on a good track to achieve universal birth registration by 2030 in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) target 16.9. However, substantial acceleration would be needed for Africa as a whole to achieve the target.