Climate change is already affecting children’s exposure to dangerous heat around the world, with up to 560 million kids from infancy through the age of nine experiencing at least one additional month of heat stress each year as a result of human-induced climate change, according to a new peer-reviewed study published in Science Advances.
The figure represents about 43 percent of children in that age group worldwide. Led by scientists at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), the study, published August 26, 2026 and authored by Rosa Pietroiusti et al., examines how climate change is increasing exposure to humidity and heat across various age groups. The researchers clarified that the estimate measures exposure rather than illness. In other words, it refers to children who experience at least thirty additional days of heat-stress conditions each year due to climate change caused by human activity.
For the analysis, the researchers combined population data with climate models and attribution methods. The current assessment is based on 2023 population data, while the future scenarios account for projected changes in climate and demographics.
Kids face growing exposure to heat stress
The study focuses on humid heat, which can be particularly dangerous, as high humidity makes it harder for the human body to cool itself through sweating. Researchers used the Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) to measure heat stress. In their analysis, a day is classified as a heat-stress day when the WBGT in the shade exceeds 28°C (82°F).
Children are especially vulnerable to high temperatures because their bodies heat up faster than those of adults and are less efficient at managing heat. Severe exposure can lead to dehydration and heat-related illness, while prolonged heat can also affect children’s learning and cognitive development. The new study found that this increase in exposure is already quite significant.
Without human-induced climate change, an estimated 120 million children, or about 9 percent of kids worldwide, would experience at least 150 days of heat stress each year under today’s population conditions. With the current rate of climate change, however, that number rises to approximately 350 million children, or 27 percent, representing almost a threefold increase.
The global issue of heat stress for kids
The research covers children worldwide, although the burden is not distributed evenly. The largest increases in humid heat exposure are concentrated in tropical regions, with South Asia, Southeast Asia, and West Africa among the areas most affected. These regions also have relatively young populations, increasing the number of children impacted.
The findings, however, extend well beyond these regions. Researchers estimate that hundreds of millions of kids around the world are already experiencing additional heat stress as a result of climate change.
Increased warming means more children exposed
The study also examined how children’s exposure could change as global temperatures continue to rise. At 1.5°C (2.7°F) of global warming, approximately 620 million kids from infancy through age nine, or 49 percent of that age group, are projected to experience at least one additional month of heat stress each year. With 2°C (3.6°F) of warming, that number rises to approximately 650 million, or 59 percent.
Prolonged heat exposure would also become more common. At 1.5°C of warming, about 390 million kids are projected to experience at least five months of heat stress annually, rising to approximately 420 million at 2°C. These figures are projections based on climate and demographic scenarios rather than predictions that these exact numbers will necessarily occur.
Kids are more vulnerable to heat stress than older adults
The researchers also identified a significant difference in heat-stress exposure between age groups. About 190 million people ages 60 to 69, or roughly 30 percent of that age group, currently experience at least one additional month of heat stress attributable to climate change. Among children from infancy through age nine, the comparable figure is 560 million, or 43 percent. The researchers attribute these differences to both physiological vulnerability and the geographic distribution of younger populations.
The findings add to growing evidence that extreme heat is becoming an increasingly critical climate and public-health risk. For kids, the study shows that the impact is not simply a concern for the distant future, as hundreds of millions are already experiencing additional heat stress.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
