The 2026 Out of the Shadows Index ranks 60 countries, across six regions – together home to 83% of the world’s children – on national action to address childhood sexual violence, with Australia leading at 83/100.
The average score for the 60 countries included is 53/100; no country scored above 83/100, with governance and prevention the weakest areas. This reflects systems that are built to focus more on punishing abuse after the fact (partly as a deterrent), rather than on actively taking practical steps to prevent the abuse from occurring in the first place.
Political and civil rights-respecting nations outperform others significantly on the Index, with "free" countries scoring 65/100 compared to 43/100 for "not free" nations, suggesting that political will is a strong predictor of robust protection systems.
GENEVA, May 18, 2026 — Governments around the world are failing to protect children and adolescents from sexual violence, according to the 2026 Out of the Shadows Index, launched at the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland.
The Index — developed and researched by Economist Impact with advocacy led by Together for Girls — ranks 60 countries across six regions, home to 83% of the world's children, on the laws, policies, plans and services they have in place to prevent and respond to childhood sexual violence.
The global average score is just 53 out of 100. No country has a comprehensive approach that effectively addresses prevention and response to sexual violence against children.
Australia leads the Index at 83/100, more than 50 points above the lowest-ranked country. Leaders within regions include the United Kingdom (78/100) in Europe and Central Asia, Canada (71/100) in the Americas and the Caribbean, India (67/100) in South Asia, Kenya (60/100) in Eastern, Western and Central Africa and Egypt (50/100) in the Middle East and North Africa.
The Index evaluates countries across four pillars: Governance and accountability (coordinated national action); Prevention (child protection); Healing (high-quality care); and Justice (strong legal systems). On average, countries scored worst on Governance and accountability (42/100) and Prevention (43/100) — showing systems with a greater emphasis on accountability for abuse than on seeking to prevent it.
"Behind every data point in this Index is a child whose life has been shaped by violence.” Said Elly Vaughan, who led the research at Economist Impact. “Governments have primarily built systems that respond to abuse after the fact, but too few are investing in stopping it before it happens. When systems fail to include mechanisms to prevent abuse, children pay the price and societies bear the cost for decades to come."
Strong protection systems are not built on wealth alone. Among the top 20 countries, nearly half (45%) are middle-income, showing that a high GDP does not automatically lead to effective child protection and response systems. For example, Colombia—an upper-middle-income country—ranks 8th, while lower-middle-income countries such as India, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Kenya also appear in the top 20. In contrast, three high-income countries fall within the bottom 20, reinforcing that economic wealth alone is not a reliable predictor of strong protection systems.
The research suggests that political freedom proves a stronger predictor of child protection than GDP. Countries rated "Free"—where individuals enjoy real-world political rights and civil liberties—score 65 on average, compared to 43 for "Not Free" nations.
International commitments are also associated with higher Index scores. Countries that have ratified five or more of the eight major international conventions on children's rights score higher on the Index (56 out of 100) than those that have not (48 out of 100), highlighting the role international commitments play in driving accountability at the national level.
Laws exist, but leave gaps. All 60 countries have criminalised core offences. Yet many laws apply only to girls, only below certain ages (population under 18), or do not cover people who might cause harm (eg, they cover teachers and parents but not school employees, childcare workers or foster parents), leaving children vulnerable.
“Too often, the perspectives of those directly impacted by childhood sexual violence are missing from the policies designed to address it. Only Australia and Germany have established government-supported National Survivor Councils — and yet more than one billion people alive today experienced sexual violence as children,” said Daniela Ligiero, Chief Executive Officer & President, Together for Girls. “With a global commitment to eliminate childhood sexual violence by 2030 and no country on track, we need to bring lived experience into decision-making alongside science and practice. We will not get this right without it.”
Notes to editors
Support and resources: If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, support is available. Find resources by country.
About the Out of the Shadows Index: The Out of the Shadows Index is the global benchmark of national governments' efforts to prevent and respond to sexual violence against children and adolescents. The Index is researched and developed by Economist Impact, with advocacy and engagement efforts led by Together for Girls.
It ranks 60 countries across 6 regions, which together are home to 83% of the world’s children. The Index scores countries across 23 indicators, covering laws, policies, programs, and services that a government should have in place to end sexual violence against children and adolescents in their country.
First launched in 2019 and updated in 2022, the 2026 edition marks its third iteration, and the 4th will be launched in 2027.
Media enquiries:
For questions about the research, contact: [email protected]
For questions about how to use the Index to drive advocacy and engagement efforts, contact: Christy Delafield ([email protected])