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Afghanistan ranks last in KidsRights Index 2026
Afghanistan has been ranked last among 194 countries in the KidsRights Index 2026, a global assessment that measures how well countries protect and promote children’s rights.
The annual index, published by the KidsRights Foundation in cooperation with Erasmus University Rotterdam, evaluates countries across key areas including the right to life, healthcare, education, protection, and the overall environment for children’s rights. The 2026 edition covers 194 countries worldwide.
According to the latest rankings, Afghanistan placed 194th out of 194 countries, remaining at the bottom of the global index. Afghan children continue to face significant challenges related to education, protection, healthcare, poverty, and humanitarian conditions.
The KidsRights Foundation said the 2026 report highlights growing threats to children’s wellbeing worldwide, including the impact of armed conflict, insecurity, and worsening social conditions. The report also warns that progress in advancing children’s rights is slowing or reversing in many parts of the world.
UNICEF estimates that 11.6 million children in Afghanistan will require humanitarian assistance in 2026, underscoring the scale of the challenges facing children across the country.
Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate, has rejected the recent ranking, calling it “baseless and far from reality.”
He said that the Islamic Emirate is fully committed to ensuring children’s rights, including education and healthcare, and added that the law banning child labor is being strictly enforced.