Birth Registration: The Key to Social Inclusion in Latin America and the Caribbean

• Birth registration is a fundamental human right and constitutes legal proof of a child’s existence and nationality. Without adequate documentation to verify identity, a person can become ex-

cluded from the benefits of living in society and can be condemned to social exclusion.

• In the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region, 9 percent of children from zero to four years of age do not have a birth certificate.

• Not having a birth certificate is associated with lower educational attainment and a lower level of immunization in all LAC countries included in this study (Bolivia, the Dominican Republic,

Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Peru). Both outcomes highlight the importance of birth registration as a fundamental public policy goal.

• There are numerous factors that might explain the under-registration of births. In general, children from very poor or rural households with mothers whose own level of education is low are more likely to lack a birth certificate. Children born in hospitals