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Extra.ie
15-05-2025
- Health
- Extra.ie
Irish teenagers succeeding at school but struggling with life, UN study finds
Irish teenagers are great at school but among the least happy in the developed world, a United Nations report has found. The country is ranked fifth overall in a global league table of 'Child Wellbeing'. The ranking is based on three areas: mental health, where Ireland ranks a lowly 24th; physical health, where we're ranked 11th; and skills, where the country tops the global league table. Pic: Getty Images The study, conducted by UNICEF, used official data from 36 countries, making comparisons and offering analysis. Top of the list was the Netherlands, followed by Denmark, France and Portugal, with Ireland in fifth. Britain is ranked 21st and scores below Ireland on all three categories. The report – Report Card 19: Child Wellbeing at Risk in an Unpredictable World – compares the well-being of children across 43 OECD and EU countries. According to the findings, one in three Irish 15-year-olds report low life satisfaction. Ireland's youth suicide rate was also found to be above the international average. Unicef Ireland executive director Peter Power said: 'These findings are stark. Ireland's teens are succeeding in school but struggling in life. We must match our investment in academic achievement with the same urgency for mental and emotional wellbeing.' The report gives no reason for the low level of 'life satisfaction'. Pic: Getty Images It said: 'Analysing change from 2018 to 2022, the report found the Covid-19 pandemic had a marked negative impact on children's mental health as a result of school shutdowns and social isolation. 'Across 26 countries with available data, life satisfaction among adolescents declined in 22.' More than one in four children and young teenagers were also found to be overweight or obese. UNICEF Ireland has called on the Government to take targeted actions to protect child wellbeing, including increasing investment in school mental health services, improving school meals and strengthening digital resilience. The report said: 'Over the past 25 years, there have been notable improvements in child wellbeing in the group of countries examined in this report: steady decline in child mortality, overall reduction in adolescent suicide and increase in school completion rates.' Pic: Shutterstock However, it added: 'The last five years have shown warning signs in deteriorating life satisfaction and falling academic skills in most countries. Obesity rates are also rising.' The report shows that the hard-won progress in child wellbeing in this group of countries is becoming increasingly vulnerable to global events and shocks. The past five years have shown warning signs in deteriorating life satisfaction and falling academic skills in most countries. The report also highlights the closeness between Irish children and their parents, revealing how often children's parents, or someone close to them, spent time just talking with them. It points out that the frequency of talking with parents is strongly positively associated with life satisfaction. 'In all countries, more than half of children said that their parents spent time talking with them at least once a week, ranging from 53% in Japan to 91% in Ireland,' it said. Ireland has the third-lowest child mortality rate among rich countries in the world, at six deaths per 10,000 children aged five to 14. Across six indicators of child wellbeing from 2018 to 2022, Ireland's position improved in three of them – suicide, mortality and social – and was static in the remaining three: life satisfaction, overweight and academic. Its position did not deteriorate in any category, the study found.
Scoop
14-05-2025
- Health
- Scoop
New Zealand Ranked 32nd Out Of 36 Countries For Child Wellbeing Is Unacceptable
A new international report card comparing childhood experiences in wealthy countries shows the need for urgent progress in Aotearoa New Zealand, says Chief Children's Commissioner Dr Claire Achmad. Published today, the latest UNICEF Innocenti 'Report Card 19: Fragile Gains – Child Wellbeing at Risk in an Unpredictable World' ranks New Zealand in 32nd place out of 36 countries for overall child wellbeing. It ranks New Zealand last – in 36th place of the world's wealthy countries – for child and youth mental health. The report card shows New Zealand has the highest suicide rate for children out of the world's wealthy countries, at a rate of almost three times higher than the average*. It also shows again that New Zealand's children face a major problem when it comes to bullying, with the second highest rate of children experiencing bullying, out of the countries included. Dr Achmad says these rankings, published just a week before Budget Day, show that meaningful investment in children and young people is urgently needed to support child and youth mental health, including suicide prevention measures, and to better support the prevention of bullying in schools and communities. 'I've been clear that we need to see a central focus on children in Budget 2025,' she says. 'This is necessary to deliver on the Government's own Child and Youth Strategy to 'make New Zealand the best place in the world to be a child.' 'It's devastating that among other high-income countries, we reported the highest youth suicide rate. We also know that attempted suicide rates for rangatahi Māori, Rainbow children and young people and disabled children are higher. 'This is absolutely unacceptable and we need to focus on making our country one where all children and young people are included, safe and where their diversity is respected and valued. I call on the Minister for Mental Health, and all ministers, to pay close attention to these findings and progress implementation of recommendations that already exist under reports such as the cross-party 'Under One Umbrella' and the Auditor-General's 'Meeting the mental health needs of young New Zealanders' reports. 'I'm also calling on the Government to collect and publish good-quality, disaggregated and timely data relating to child mortality. 'Significantly reducing childhood poverty must be a core investment area for the Government, given the ripple effects it has on children's lives. The data in the Government's own recent Annual Report on Children and Young People's wellbeing shows that we are going backwards when it comes to providing enough safe housing, healthy food and primary health and dental care. 'I want to see all children in our country flourish to their full potential. As this international comparison shows, we can and must do much, much better for children. These are their basic rights that we are talking about, and as a small, relatively rich country, it shouldn't be like this.' 'The solutions to the problems highlighted in this report card have already been identified by children and young people themselves, and are well documented in our mokopuna voices reports such as such as 'A place to talk peacefully' and 'You need to get in early, as soon as you see people struggling'. 'These solutions must now be actioned because children only get one chance at childhood, and right now for too many in New Zealand, it's far from the best in the world.' * UNICEF Innocenti used the most recent reliable data from each country, with 3-year averages to smooth fluctuations. The most recent reliable suicide data from New Zealand was from 2020. Therefore, the New Zealand youth suicide data in the report card relates to 2018 – 2020. The Ministry of Health has stated that unpublished data on suspected suicides indicates that rates are falling. However, New Zealand's youth suicide rate is still a notable outlier among the group of countries in this report card, which is consistent with other sources like the New Zealand Youth Health Survey.
RTÉ News
14-05-2025
- Health
- RTÉ News
Ireland's teens among least happy in developed world
A UN report indicates that Irish teenagers are among the least happy in high-income countries, despite leading the world in academic skills. The study by UNICEF drew on official data from many countries, making comparisons and offering analysis. The report, entitled - Report Card 19: Child Wellbeing at Risk in an Unpredictable World - compares the wellbeing of children across 43 OECD and EU countries. According to the findings, Irish teenagers are succeeding in school but struggling in life, with nearly one in three 15-year-olds reporting low life satisfaction. Ireland's youth suicide rate was also found to be above the international average. "These findings are stark," said Executive Director of UNICEF Ireland Peter Power. "Ireland's teens are succeeding in school, but struggling in life. We must match our investment in academic achievement with the same urgency for mental and emotional wellbeing." Analysing change from 2018 to 2022, the report found the pandemic had a marked negative impact on children's mental health as a result of school shutdowns and social isolation. Across 26 countries with available data, life satisfaction among adolescents declined in 22. More than one in four children and young teenagers were also found to be overweight or obese. UNICEF Ireland is calling on the Government to take targeted actions to protect child wellbeing, including increasing investment in school mental health services, improving school meals and strengthening digital resilience.
Cision Canada
14-05-2025
- Health
- Cision Canada
Canada barely getting a passing grade in UNICEF's latest Report Card on child well-being Français
UNICEF Report Card 19 reveals troubling mental health trends for children and young people across Canada. TORONTO, May 13, 2025 /CNW/ - When it comes to places to grow up in, Canada is barely getting a passing grade. UNICEF Report Card 19, which looks at the state of child and youth well-being across high-income countries, ranks Canada 19th out of 36 countries, far below the top tier expected of one of the world's the wealthiest nations. Even as Canada's national wealth has risen over the past 25 years, it's progress on indicators of child well-being has largely stalled, with mental health of particular concern. To dive further into Canada's performance, UNICEF Canada is also publishing Childhood Interrupted: How Canada's Child Well-Being Compares to Other Wealthy Countries, a companion summary report for Report Card 19. It warns that Canadian children today are less happy than 10 years ago. In fact, one in five children report experiencing frequent bullying and just as many have reported loneliness at school. Canada received mixed results in other key areas of the report: One in four children have difficulty making friends; ranking 28 th Despite progress, Canada maintains a high rate of adolescent suicide; ranking 33 rd Canada ranks in the top 10 countries in only one area: academic skills; ranking 6 th Life satisfaction among children saw a decline from 83% in 2010 to just under 76% in 2022; ranking 13 th Countries with less wealth than Canada like Portugal and Spain showed better child outcomes, ranking 4 th and 7 th respectively. The Netherlands, Denmark and France topped the list taking podium positions. "Canada is standing at an important crossroads as a nation. We have big choices to make that will define the quality of life for generations of children," said Sevaun Palvetzian, President and CEO of UNICEF Canada. " This report puts a spotlight on the areas we need prioritized for our children and youth: their health, safety, education, and happiness. Resting on our laurels will not take us into the future we need – or that our children deserve." The report warns that children and young people today are facing a 'polycrisis' of stresses – from the lingering impacts of the most severe pandemic in a century, to the fastest price inflation in a generation, to the increased risk of exposure to harm and bullying on social media. "As a young person and mental health advocate, I'm deeply disappointed by how the life satisfaction of children and youth in Canada is falling. Good mental health is the foundation for childhood, yet it continues to be overlooked," said UNICEF Canada's Youth Advocate Matin Moradkhan. "We are calling for fundamental policy change to our education, funding, and healthcare system, so every child and young person has the opportunity to thrive." Canada's performance compared to its peer countries demonstrates that public policies are not yet sufficient to nurture children's potential and protect them from the economic, social, technological and environmental disruptions. UNICEF Canada is calling on all levels of government to: Strengthen income benefits, parental leave, school food programs and affordable child care to give children the best start in life. Establish a National Commissioner who ensures children's needs stay in focus through every government decision. Ensure children can access the mental health support they need, starting by including younger children in the federal Youth Mental Health Fund. Implement Jordan's Principle to ensure equitable access for First Nations children to all government services and support. Download Report Card 19 here, and the Canadian Companion summary here. A more extensive version of the Canadian Companion will be available in the coming weeks. About UNICEF's Report Card Series As the world's knowledge leader for children, UNICEF is committed to collecting and sharing critical information on the situation of children around the world. For more than 25 years, UNICEF has published a Report Card series on the well-being of children in high-income countries. By making this data and analysis publicly available, parliamentarians and policy-makers have the information they need to make decisions in the best interest of every child, and all Canadians, including those working in the child well-being sector, will have the tools they need to be a part of the solution. About UNICEF UNICEF is the world's leading humanitarian organization focused on children. We work in the most challenging areas to provide protection, healthcare and immunizations, education, safe water and sanitation and nutrition. As part of the United Nations, our unrivalled reach spans more than 190 countries and territories, ensuring we are on the ground to help the most disadvantaged children. While part of the UN system, UNICEF relies entirely on voluntary donations to finance our life-saving work. Please visit and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Canada barely getting a passing grade in UNICEF's latest Report Card on child well-being
UNICEF Report Card 19 reveals troubling mental health trends for children and young people across Canada. TORONTO, May 13, 2025 /CNW/ - When it comes to places to grow up in, Canada is barely getting a passing grade. UNICEF Report Card 19, which looks at the state of child and youth well-being across high-income countries, ranks Canada 19th out of 36 countries, far below the top tier expected of one of the world's the wealthiest nations. Even as Canada's national wealth has risen over the past 25 years, it's progress on indicators of child well-being has largely stalled, with mental health of particular concern. To dive further into Canada's performance, UNICEF Canada is also publishing Childhood Interrupted: How Canada's Child Well-Being Compares to Other Wealthy Countries, a companion summary report for Report Card 19. It warns that Canadian children today are less happy than 10 years ago. In fact, one in five children report experiencing frequent bullying and just as many have reported loneliness at school. Canada received mixed results in other key areas of the report: One in four children have difficulty making friends; ranking 28th Despite progress, Canada maintains a high rate of adolescent suicide; ranking 33rd Canada ranks in the top 10 countries in only one area: academic skills; ranking 6th Life satisfaction among children saw a decline from 83% in 2010 to just under 76% in 2022; ranking 13th Countries with less wealth than Canada like Portugal and Spain showed better child outcomes, ranking 4th and 7th respectively. The Netherlands, Denmark and France topped the list taking podium positions. "Canada is standing at an important crossroads as a nation. We have big choices to make that will define the quality of life for generations of children," said Sevaun Palvetzian, President and CEO of UNICEF Canada. "This report puts a spotlight on the areas we need prioritized for our children and youth: their health, safety, education, and happiness. Resting on our laurels will not take us into the future we need – or that our children deserve." The report warns that children and young people today are facing a 'polycrisis' of stresses – from the lingering impacts of the most severe pandemic in a century, to the fastest price inflation in a generation, to the increased risk of exposure to harm and bullying on social media. "As a young person and mental health advocate, I'm deeply disappointed by how the life satisfaction of children and youth in Canada is falling. Good mental health is the foundation for childhood, yet it continues to be overlooked," said UNICEF Canada's Youth Advocate Matin Moradkhan. "We are calling for fundamental policy change to our education, funding, and healthcare system, so every child and young person has the opportunity to thrive." Canada's performance compared to its peer countries demonstrates that public policies are not yet sufficient to nurture children's potential and protect them from the economic, social, technological and environmental disruptions. UNICEF Canada is calling on all levels of government to: Strengthen income benefits, parental leave, school food programs and affordable child care to give children the best start in life. Establish a National Commissioner who ensures children's needs stay in focus through every government decision. Ensure children can access the mental health support they need, starting by including younger children in the federal Youth Mental Health Fund. Implement Jordan's Principle to ensure equitable access for First Nations children to all government services and support. Download Report Card 19 here, and the Canadian Companion summary here. A more extensive version of the Canadian Companion will be available in the coming weeks. About UNICEF's Report Card Series As the world's knowledge leader for children, UNICEF is committed to collecting and sharing critical information on the situation of children around the world. For more than 25 years, UNICEF has published a Report Card series on the well-being of children in high-income countries. By making this data and analysis publicly available, parliamentarians and policy-makers have the information they need to make decisions in the best interest of every child, and all Canadians, including those working in the child well-being sector, will have the tools they need to be a part of the solution. About UNICEF UNICEF is the world's leading humanitarian organization focused on children. We work in the most challenging areas to provide protection, healthcare and immunizations, education, safe water and sanitation and nutrition. As part of the United Nations, our unrivalled reach spans more than 190 countries and territories, ensuring we are on the ground to help the most disadvantaged children. While part of the UN system, UNICEF relies entirely on voluntary donations to finance our life-saving work. Please visit and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. SOURCE UNICEF Canada View original content to download multimedia:
