This report provides a profile of the size and structure of the child population, and examines its socio-demographic and socio-economic characteristics. It also explores the situation of particularly vulnerable groups of children, including orphans and child-headed households.

The child population represents 48% of the total resident population. The population share of children is higher in rural areas (49%) than in urban areas (41%).

Children‟s share in the total resident population is over six percentage points below the level in the 1991 Census (54%). Thus, one starts to observe a shift in the age structure, following reductions in fertility rates and progress in terms of higher life expectancy.