A newly published atlas outlining the vast socio-economic discrepancies separating millions of Chinese rural children from their urban counterparts has been released in an effort to address the country’s inequalities and boost assistance for China’s most vulnerable youths， the United Nations Children’s Fund （UNICEF） announced today.

In a press release marking the publication of Children in China： An Atlas of Social Indicators 2014， UNICEF warned that despite China’s “spectacular” economic development， “striking geographical disparities” continue to pose challenges to the survival， development and protection of millions of rural children across the country.

According to the UN agency， China boasted “remarkable” achievements in poverty alleviation， ensuring universal access to primary education， promoting gender equality and reducing child mortality for its estimated 274 million children in 2013. In addition， the country’s national under-five mortality rate declined at an average annual rate of 7 per cent – from 61 per thousand live births in 1991 to 12 per thousand live births in 2013.

Nonetheless， UNICEF added， the latest figures provided by the Atlas reveal deep divergences between rural and urban areas and among eastern， central and western regions further indicating that “some children are missing out on access to health， education and protection services.”

Internal migration also widely affects children as many are subjected to hardships and discrimination， according to the Atlas. As children move from rural areas to China’s cities， many remain unable to attend public schools. Others have to enrol in low-quality private schools and are confronted with high fees.

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