Introduction

There is a growing literature on the welfare impact of economic transition in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the former Soviet Union (FSU) (Falkingham et al, 1997; Milanovic, 1998; UNDP, 1999). Most has concentrated on household welfare. This paper, however, takes as its focus the impact of recent economic changes on the welfare of children. Why children? First, children are worthy of attention in terms of their numerical significance. The five Central Asian Republics (CARs) together contain over 23 million people aged under 18 and children constitute two fifths of the region’s population. Second, and more important, today’s children are tomorrow’s adults. The experiences of today’s young people will, to a large degree, determine the shape of the region’s future. As such, it is essential to understand how the recent economic transition has affected the risks they face during their own transition through childhood to adulthood. Any lost development during the period of childhood cannot easily be recouped later in life, resulting in a generation at risk of social exclusion.

This chapter takes a multidimensional view of child well-being. The indicators discussed include both economic measures of poverty based on incomes and expenditures and selected capability-based indicators, reflecting the health and survival, and the education and personal development of children and their social inclusion/exclusion. We begin with a brief discussion of the demographic significance of children in the Central Asian context. This is followed by a discussion of the recent macroeconomic changes in the region and the possible ways in which these changes may impact upon the welfare of children. The available evidence concerning recent trends in both the material poverty and capability welfare of children in Central Asia is then presented and conclusions drawn.

Children in Central Asia

Children are at the heart of Central Asian society and culture. The five CARs together contain over 23 million people aged under 18, and children make up between 35% (in Kazakhstan) and 48% (in Tajikistan) of the national populations. These youthful Central Asian populations contrast sharply with those of the European republics of the FSU and CEE, where children account for between one fifth and one quarter of the population.