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The article focuses on the problem of limited chances for comprehensive development among children and adolescents living in rural areas. In addition, issues are discussed referring to the phe-nomenon of social exclusion of young rural inhabitants, which are the result of their unequal access to some socially valued attributes, such as health and education. Studies concerning the state of health of children show that the situation of children living in rural areas still remains worse compared to that of urban children. The abnormalities reported by physi-cians, e.g. changes in the mastication organ - dental caries and malocclusion, disorders in the body static, or disorders in somatic development (overweight, underweight, small height). There is also much neglect in the rural, compared to the urban environment, with respect to ob-taining a good education and comprehensive intellectual development, as well as a worse material standard of rural families, compared to urban inhabitants. This situation exerts significantly the results in the limited possibilities of satisfying the basic needs of rural children. Therefore, it is necessary to undertake actions biased towards the levelling out of the differences in the quality of life of rural children and adolescents, compared to the children living in urban areas, and the creation of conditions which would enable the levelling of chances for the development in the above-mentioned spheres of social life