Some 69 million children under the age of five will have died from mostly preventable causes by 2030 if current trends continue, a major new report has revealed.

According to UNICEF's annual flagship report, The State of the World's Children 2016 - A Fair Chance For Every Child, by 2030, 69 million children under the age of five will have died, 167 million children will be living in poverty and 750 million women will have been married as children, unless the issues facing the most disadvantaged children are tackled.

"Denying hundreds of millions of children a fair chance in life does more than threaten their futures. By fueling intergenerational cycles of disadvantage, it imperils the future of their societies. We have a choice - invest in these children now or allow our world to become still more unequal and divided," commented UNICEF executive director, Anthony Lake.

The report highlights that much progress has been made in saving children's lives, moving them out of poverty and getting them into school. In fact, global mortality rates for children under the age of five have halved since 1990 and boys and girls now attend primary schools in equal numbers in 129 countries.

However, this progress has not been even, with the poorest children still at major risk. They are twice as likely to be chronically malnourished and to die before they turn five than compared to the richest children of the world.

In many parts of south Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, children born to mothers with no education are nearly three times more likely to die before they turn five than those born to mothers with a secondary education.

The report points out that the problems facing children in sub-Saharan Africa are particularly bad. Two-thirds of children there - around 247 million - live in poverty. Of the 69 million children under the age of five expected to die globally from mainly preventable causes by 2030, almost half will live in this part of the world.

Meanwhile, the report expresses concern about the number of children missing out on education. Around 124 million children today do not attend school and almost 40% of children who do manage to finish primary school have not learned how to read, write or do simple maths.

UNICEF is calling for more investment in the most vulnerable children.

"By shifting priorities and concentrating greater effort and investment on children who face the greatest challenges, governments and development partners can make sure every child has a fair chance to achieve their full potential and realise a future of their own making," it said.

The report can be viewed here