In recent years, INSTAT has started publishing indicators of poverty and material deprivation of children under 16 years of age. The measurement methodology of this indicator is built based on the methodology of the European Union which measures the availability of 13 indicators related to normal clothing and nutrition. 

INSTAT experts Majlinda Nesturi and Blerta Muja, in a study of theirs that does not represent the official position of INSTAT, found that over 97% of households could not meet the standards in standard clothing and food for children under 16.

The experts obtained the results of material deprivation for children in family-level questions and were answered by household respondents for all children members of that family, under 16 years of age for at least 13 items as follows: 

-Have some new (not used) clothes; 
-Have two suitable pairs of shoes (where one pair of shoes is inserted at any time); 
-Eat fruits and vegetables once a day; 
-Eat a meal of meat, chicken, or fish (or the equivalent for vegetarians) at least once a day; 
-They have books suitable for their age at home; 
-Have outdoor entertainment equipment (bicycle, skates, etc.); 
-Have indoor games (educational toys for babies, building cubes, board games, computer games, etc.); 
-Have a convenient place to study or do homework; 
-Participate in a regular fun activity (swimming, playing a musical instrument, youth organization, etc.); 
-Have celebrations on special occasions (birthdays, name days, religious events); 
-Invite friends home to play or eat occasionally; 
-Participate in paid school trips and events; 
-Go on vacation away from home for at least a week each year, which includes staying somewhere else or staying with friends/relatives 

For each of the items, it was found that over 90% could not fill them, but the highest gap was observed in the ability to wear them with new clothes. Nearly 99.9% of families stated that they do not meet almost all the needs of children with new clothes. 99.9% of households stated that their children have unmet needs for at least two pairs of suitable shoes or sandals. 99.1% of households stated that it is impossible for them to feed their children meat at least once a day. 99% of families with children have stated that they do not meet the needs.

(Source: Monitor)