UK near bottom of child happiness and wellbeing league table

The UK ranks 21 out of 36 when compared to other high-income countries for child wellbeing, with countries such as France, Spain and Portugal near the top. On child mental health, the UK was 27th out of 36, according to Sky News.

The UK is near the bottom of a league table for the wellbeing of children and the happiness of teenagers. UNICEF found children in general across the world are underperforming at school, more likely to be obese and to feel unhappy compared to several years ago. The UK ranks 21 out of 36 when compared to other high-income countries for child wellbeing, with countries such as France, Spain and Portugal near the top. Also above the UK are Romania, Slovakia, Lithuania and Hungary, while the Netherlands and Denmark retain their position as the two countries where children are happiest and have the highest levels of wellbeing. On child mental health, the UK was 27th out of 36, while teenagers in Britain came joint second from last (tied with Chile, with only Turkey scoring lower) for life satisfaction. Girls in the UK were much more likely to report unhappiness than boys.

Dr Philip Goodwin, chief executive of the United Kingdom Committee for UNICEF, said: "The latest figures from UNICEF's report card give us a deeply concerning insight into just how much UK children are struggling.

"Our teenagers are reporting some of the lowest life satisfaction levels, which must be a wake-up call for the government. "However, action to tackle these issues is not coming fast enough." In the wake of the pandemic, NHS England estimated in 2023 a quarter of all 17 to 19-year-olds had a probable mental health disorder compared to one in 10 just six years before. It has led to long waiting lists for children and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). UNICEF said there was a risk of a "polycrisis" hitting children across the planet, due to the ongoing impact of COVID, climate change and developments in digital technology.

Researchers found that in many wealthy countries children are "becoming less happy with their lives, more likely to be overweight and obese, and are not doing well at school".

A government spokesperson said: "This government is investing an extra £680m in mental health services this year, to help recruit 8,500 more mental health workers and put mental health support in every school.

"We are also tackling obesity head on by blocking new fast-food outlets near schools and cracking down on junk food adverts on TV and online to protect young children.

"We are developing an ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty, introducing free breakfast clubs in every primary school and driving up standards in schools through our new regional improvement teams."