Key points
- In 2025, 90% of infants globally — nearly 116 million — received at least one DTP dose, and 85% — 110 million — completed the full three-dose series (WUENIC, released 15 July 2026).
- 13.5 million children received no vaccine dose at all in their first year in 2025 — nearly 750,000 fewer than the year before, but still far above the 2030 target.
- Measles coverage stalled: 84% first dose and 77% second dose in 2025, against 95% needed; 57 countries reported large or disruptive measles outbreaks in 2025.
- These are 2025 figures from the July 2026 WUENIC release. The previous release reported 2024 data — do not mix the two.
Direct answer: In 2025, 90% of infants worldwide received at least one dose of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine and 85% completed the full three-dose series — but 13.5 million children received no vaccine dose at all in their first year. Those are the WHO/UNICEF estimates of national immunisation coverage (WUENIC) released on 15 July 2026, reporting 2025 data. Coverage inched forward; it did not recover to pre-pandemic levels.
The 2025 figures
The WHO/UNICEF Estimates of National Immunization Coverage (WUENIC) are published every July and report the previous year’s data. The release of 15 July 2026 reports 2025, from 195 countries (2025 data supplied by 185 of them). The headline figures:
| Indicator | 2025 figure (global) |
|---|---|
| DTP1 — at least one dose of DTP vaccine | 90% of infants — nearly 116 million |
| DTP3 — completed all three doses | 85% — 110 million |
| Zero-dose children (no dose of any vaccine in the first year) | 13.5 million |
| MCV1 — first measles dose | 84% |
| MCV2 — second measles dose | 77% |
| Children who started DTP but dropped out before their first measles dose | 7.3 million |
| Countries with large or disruptive measles outbreaks in 2025 | 57 |
Both DTP indicators rose by one percentage point on the previous year, and zero-dose children fell by nearly 750,000 — but global coverage remains one point below 2019 levels, “hovering within the same narrow range since 2009” (WHO/UNICEF, 15 July 2026). WUENIC estimates, including historical data, are revised annually as new country data become available, and figures in one release should not be compared against previous years’ published reports.
Who is missed, and why
The gap is not evenly spread. More than half of all zero-dose children live in fragile and conflict-affected settings, even though those settings account for only about a third of the world’s child population. In a single year, Syria lost 6 percentage points on DTP1 coverage and 12 points on MCV1; Sudan, by contrast, recorded the largest single-country gain globally, increasing DTP1 by 35 percentage points and MCV1 by 22 points. In middle- and high-income countries, coverage is slipping where vaccines are fully accessible, amid shifting political commitment, structural challenges and rising hesitancy — South Africa’s DTP1 coverage has fallen 20 percentage points since 2019. Of the countries below 90% DTP3 coverage in 2019, 30 improved over six years but 65 are stagnating or falling behind, including 13 fragile, conflict-affected or vulnerable countries. And 100 countries have maintained at least 90% DTP3 coverage since 2019, with little progress in expanding that group.
Why measles is the warning light
Measles coverage is the figure that shows whether the system is holding, because measles is the first disease to resurge when coverage drops. At 84% first dose and 77% second dose in 2025, both far short of the 95% threshold needed to prevent outbreaks, 57 countries reported large or disruptive measles outbreaks in 2025. The drop-out figure explains part of it: 7.3 million infants received a first DTP dose but dropped out before their first measles dose. The measles guide on this site carries the full picture.
A note on years — read before reusing a figure
Coverage figures are easy to mislabel, and this site has made that mistake before, so the rule is stated plainly here. The July 2026 WUENIC release reports 2025 data (DTP1 90%, DTP3 85%, 13.5 million zero-dose). The July 2025 release reported 2024 data (DTP1 89%, DTP3 85%, 14.3 million zero-dose). The two releases must never be mixed, and a figure must always carry its data year and its release date. No global coverage figure for 2026 exists yet — the next release lands in July 2027 — and no 2025 figure beyond what the July 2026 release states is published on this site. The dedicated child-immunisation page carries the children’s part of the WHO schedule alongside these coverage figures.
Frequently asked questions
What year are these figures for?
2025. They come from the WHO/UNICEF Estimates of National Immunization Coverage (WUENIC) released on 15 July 2026. The previous release, of July 2025, reported 2024 data.
What is a zero-dose child?
A child who received no dose of any vaccine in their first year. In 2025 there were 13.5 million zero-dose children worldwide.
Why is measles coverage the headline?
Because measles is the first disease to resurge when coverage drops: 84% first dose and 77% second dose in 2025, against 95% needed, and 57 countries reported large or disruptive measles outbreaks in 2025.