Populations
Orphans are relatively rare in developed countries, as most children can expect both of their parents to survive their childhood. Much higher numbers of orphans exist in war-torn nations such as Afghanistan.
| Continent | Number of orphans (1000s) |
Orphans as percentage of all children |
|---|---|---|
| Africa | 34,294 | 11.9% |
| Asia | 65,504 | 6.5% |
| Latin America & Caribbean | 8,166 | 7.4% |
| Total | 107,964 | 7.6% |
- 2001 figures from 2002 UNICEF/UNAIDS report
- China: A survey conducted by the Ministry of Civil Affairs in 2005 showed that China has about 573,000 orphans below 18 years old.
- Russia: An estimated 650,000 children are in Russian orphanages. Orphans are turned out of the orphanages at the age of 16, and the results are poor for most of them: 40% are homeless, 20% turn to crime, and 10% commit suicide.
- Latin America: Street children have a major presence in Latin America; some estimate that there are as many as 40 million street children in Latin America. Although not all street children are orphans, all street children work and many do not have significant family support.
Read more about this topic: Orphan
Famous quotes containing the word populations:
“The populations of Pwllheli, Criccieth,
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Were all assembled. Criccieth’s mayor addressed them
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—Robert Graves (1895–1985)