Worldwide, 1.5 Million Children Lost A Parent Or Grandparent Caregiver To COVID-19

As of May 31, 2021, more than 3.8 million people worldwide had died from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and 1.5 million children lost a parent or grandparent caregiver. From March 1, 2020, through April 30, 2021, more than 1 million children experienced the death of one or both parents due to COVID-19. For another 500,000 children, a custodial grandparent died of COVID-19. Before the COVID-19 pandemic began, an estimated 140 million children worldwide were orphaned.

The highest rate of orphaned children due to COVID-19 was in Peru, at 10 children per 1 . . .