Young Lives

A 15-year study of childhood poverty tracking the lives of 12,000 children across four countries

The Young Lives research project:

• investigates why childhood poverty persists; 
• finds out how poverty affects children’s lives; 
• and looks at how the poverty cycle can be broken.

How research can change children’s lives

Young Lives is changing children’s lives for the better: 

• Young Lives research helped develop the plan of action for children in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. The plan of action, published in 2007, sets out the state government’s vision for children’s well-being and development.
• In two provinces of Vietnam we’re helping make sure children’s issues are part of government’s overall plans for social and economic development.
• We ran a project with children in Ethiopia, asking them to explore their views on health and poverty. We are using the photographs for our ongoing policy and communications work. The children took the photographs and wrote the captions. See some of the children’s photographs below.

What’s special about Young Lives?

Young Lives is the only project in the world to be studying and working with the same children in four countries over such a long time period.

We’re:

• Examining the changing face of poverty in a rapidly changing world. 
• Recognising children as actors in their own lives – they are the key informants of the study.
• Bringing together information on children’s education, health, livelihoods and economic status.
• Investigating the social and environmental factors that shape children’s opportunities. 
• Distinguishing between different children’s experiences and poverty according to gender, ethnicity, religion, wealth, age, birth order, etc.
• Taking a multi-dimensional view of poverty; assessing social, emotional and psychological well-being. 
• Analysing links between children’s situations and local, national and international policies.

Read more about our research methods on the Young Lives website.

What have we found so far?

We’re now half way through this exciting project. We've just publically launched the initial analysis of our second round of research findings in the UK. The results will be launched in the study countries in the next few months. The analysis covers key aspects of childhood poverty: wealth and livelihoods, access to services, nutrition, education, and children's subjective well-being.

We've developed preliminary reports from each country. Find out about the changes that have taken place in children's lives in Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam.

Young Lives is funded by the Department for International Development (DFID). The project is a multi-partner collaboration directed by the University of Oxford, Save the Children UK is a key partner and has responsibility for using the research for policy engagement.

Find out more

• Keep up to date with Young Lives: sign up for the Young Lives e-newsletter.
• Visit the Young Lives website.
• Go to our online library and read more about childhood poverty
• Find out more about Save the Children’s work in Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam.
• Find out how you can help Save the Children break the cycle of poverty around the world, and change children’s futures.