Jordan marks World Children's Day with improved child welfare

AMMAN, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Jordan has made significant progress in child health, education and welfare, the Department of Statistics of Jordan (DoS) said Wednesday, as the country marks World Children's Day.

Around 4.7 million children under 18 live in Jordan, accounting for 40 percent of the population, the DoS said.

Child welfare and maternal health have seen notable improvements, it said, noting that neonatal mortality dropped from 14 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2012 to nine in 2023, while infant mortality fell from 17 to 14 per 1,000 live births over the same period. Under-five mortality declined from 21 to 15 per 1,000 live births.

Education indicators also showed gains, with kindergarten enrollment rising from 36.9 percent in the 2021-2022 academic year to 39.2 percent in 2023-2024, while basic education enrollment increased to 94.9 percent, the DoS said.

Immunization coverage improved significantly, with 92 percent of children aged 12-23 months receiving all basic vaccines in 2023, up from 86 percent in 2017-2018, it said.

It added that 91.9 percent of children under five live with both parents. Enditem