Children under age 5 whose births have been registered with a civil authority (%)

Birth registration is the official recording of a child’s birth by the state. It is a foundational human-rights and governance indicator because a birth certificate (or equivalent record) often underpins access to health services, schooling, social protection, inheritance rights, and legal identity.

UNICEF and the UN Statistics Division compile nationally representative household survey and administrative sources into a harmonized global series. While many countries have near-universal registration, gaps persist—especially where families face cost, distance, documentation requirements, conflict, displacement, or weak civil registration systems. The indicator is typically measured as the percentage of children under age 5 whose births are registered (sometimes “registered” includes having a birth certificate; definitions can vary slightly by survey).