UK is bottom in league table of children’s well-being in wealthy countries

The United Kingdom has come last for children’s well-being in a list of 21 wealthy countries, published today.

A Unicef study placed the UK at the bottom of the list of 21 countries, which was topped by the Netherlands.

The study measured well-being across six categories: material well-being, health and safety, education, family and peer relationships, behaviours and risks, and subjective well-being.

The UK came bottom in the family and peer relationships, and behaviour and risks sections and was in the bottom third for five of the six dimensions reviewed.

The study found there was “no obvious” relationship between national wealth and children’s well-being with the Czech Republic coming 15th, above several much wealthier countries; rather, it said policy was important in determining outcomes.

To coincide with the report, the Children’s Society launched a website to allow children and young people to feed into its current Good Childhood Inquiry.

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