Many affluent countries have suffered a "great leap backwards"

LONDON, Oct 28 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The global economic crisis has plunged 2.6 million children into poverty in the world's most affluent countries, with children in Ireland, Latvia and Greece among the hardest hit, a new UNICEF report showed.

Increases in child poverty since the crisis hit in 2008 have brought the estimated number of children living in poverty in the developed world to around 76.5 million, the report said.

"Many affluent countries have suffered a 'great leap backwards' in terms of household income, and the impact on children will have long-lasting repercussions for them and their communities," said Jeffrey O'Malley, UNICEF's head of global policy and strategy.

Child poverty levels have increased in more than half of the 41 countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and European Union analysed by UNICEF.

In Greece, which imposed harsh austerity measures to meet the terms of an international bailout, more than 40 percent of children were living in poverty by 2012.

Children's economic wellbeing improved in 18 countries, including Australia and Finland, highlighting the benefits of having a strong social safety net to protect the young and most vulnerable, the "Children of the Recession" report said.

"UNICEF research shows that the strength of social protection policies was a decisive factor in poverty prevention," O'Malley said in a statement. "All countries need strong social safety nets to protect children in bad times and in good - and wealthy countries should lead by example."

While early stimulus programmes in some countries helped to protect children, by 2010 a majority of countries had adopted budget cuts, with negative impact on children, particularly in Mediterranean countries, such as Italy, Greece and Portugal.

(Reporting By Karrie Kehoe, editing by Ros Russell)

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