World Vision annual report shows 43.9 million children reached in 2025 amid deepening global crises

World Vision staff with sponsor child
Monday, May 4, 2026

London, 4 May 2026 – As conflict, hunger, climate shocks, and economic pressure continue to upend children’s lives, World Vision International’s 2025 annual report shows the organisation reached nearly 44 million children globally through relief and development programming, including 19 million children in emergency responses.

While significant, the needs are still immense. Globally, of more than 2 billion children under the ages of 18, 473 million children live in conflict-affected areas and estimates 412 million wake up every day in extreme poverty.  

Against that backdrop, World Vision’s report highlights 2025 as a year of both frontline response and long-term progress for children. The organisation responded to 104 emergencies in 70 countries, reaching 35.6 million people affected by disaster, including 18.6 million children. Through its long-term development programming it also reached 2.8 million people with access to clean water, supported over 7.3 million children and pregnant and breastfeeding women to be screened for malnutrition, and reached 5.7 million children and adolescents through education initiatives.

In his foreword to the report, World Vision International President and CEO Andrew Morley said: “In the midst of constant uncertainty, 2025 reminded us of the fragility of children’s lives – but also the extraordinary power of bold hope.”

The report also underscores World Vision’s reach in the world’s hardest places. In 2025, the organisation invested over US$680 million in fragile and conflict-affected places, representing 35% of its field funding globally, and reached more than 20 million people in those settings. It contributed to more than 1,030 policy changes in 70+ countries, benefiting more than 307 million children, while its global ENOUGH campaign continued to drive action on child hunger and malnutrition.

The results reflect the strength of World Vision’s locally led model, with 98.98% of staff living and working in the communities they serve.

But the organisation says 2025’s progress must now become 2026’s platform for greater urgency. With the launch of the third phase (2026-2030) of its global strategy, Our Promise, World Vision is calling on governments, donors, multilateral partners, churches, communities, and private supporters to help protect hard-won gains for children, back locally-led solutions, and invest in proven approaches that help children survive crisis and build a stronger future.

Andrew Morley said: “With Christ at the centre and children at the heart, we are called to be more focused, more collaborative, and more courageous.”  

At a time when global needs are rising and too many children are being left behind, World Vision is urging stakeholders everywhere to step forward — not step back — in 2026: to protect children in conflict, confront hunger and vulnerability, strengthen the systems children rely on, and scale the partnerships needed to help more girls and boys experience life in all its fullness.

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For media interviews contact:  

Katie Fixter, Media Manager, World Vision International, katie_fixter@wvi.org, Portland, USA (PST / GMT-8), +1 206 502 5741

Notes for the Editor:

About World Vision:  

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian aid, development, and advocacy organisation dedicated to ending extreme poverty and injustice — one child, one family, and one community at a time. Today, we are a global movement of community members, donors, and leaders, working alongside partners to ignite momentum and create lasting change for children everywhere. 

Global Annual Report Impact