Skopje, 7 December 2021 (MIA) – Poverty in the country has been continually declining but child poverty is dropping slower than adult poverty. Analyses have shown that children living in poor families and with less educated parents are in higher risk of staying poor when they grow up. A study on multidimensional child poverty that was promoted within policy forum “Poverty among Children in North Macedonia – family income not the only factor” shows that the country has recorded significant progress in reducing monetary poverty in recent years, but child poverty rates are dropping significantly less. Lack of education, economic difficulties, lack of love and care, violence in the home and shortage of free activities are seen as the main factors for the multidimensional child poverty in the country, with education seen as the key factor to improve the situation, since children acquiring a higher education level have a bigger chance to go out of poverty. UNICEF Representative to North Macedonia, Patrizia Di Giovanni, said the country aspires towards increasing investments in education. “The research has shown that limited access to education affects the multidimensional child poverty. This is a call to the authorities and municipalities to resume the trend of enlarging access to early education, which is the best investment we could do to help children reach their potential,” said Di Giovanni. President Stevo Pendarovski said uprooting child poverty is a continual, daily struggle. “There is no other more relevant indicator for a society than its treatment of the most vulnerable groups. If there is no progress here, we will not only be responsible but also to blame for entire generations with failed expectations. The children of today are the parents, relatives, workers, employers of tomorrow,” said Pendarovski. According to him, the country has managed to reduce extreme poverty but is still far from the desired target. “Prior to the pandemic, child poverty stood at nearly 28 percent from the total poverty in the country. More than eight percent of children under the age of five and almost 12 percent of children aged between 5-17 face poverty. Data that nearly one in three poor children under the age of five come from the Roma community shows that discrimination is one of the causes,” said Pendarovski. Today’s forum was organized by the UNICEF Country Office and economic, research and policy institute “Finance Think”.