According to the most recent UNICEF report, the countries where children have the highest well-being are consistently the Netherlands, Denmark and France, with Portugal in fourth place.
Based on six criteria such as mental health, physical health and educational skills, including life satisfaction, suicide rates, academic performance and social ties, these countries are on the top list of this report.
The UNICEF report, which brings together updated data from the World Health Organization (WHO), the OECD and other global bodies, also indicates that countries such as the United States of America do not even appear among the best ranked, which indicates that a nation’s economic wealth alone does not always guarantee child well-being.
Factors assessed by UNICEF
UNICEF analyzed six main factors to highlight those countries where children feel happiest:
- Mental well-being: life satisfaction, depression and suicide rates;
- Physical health: infant mortality, obesity rates, access to care;
- Educational and social skills: school performance (literacy) and social bonds;
- Social environment: relationships with friends and family context;
- Safety and security: exposure to violence, bullying;
- Environment and opportunities: housing conditions and development opportunities.
The Netherlands came first in the metal well-being criterion, with Portugal in second place in this area, with a less good performance in the physical health (10th) and educational skills (22nd) indicators.
The report also points to growing challenges as a result of the pandemic in children’s mental and educational health, reinforcing the need for continued investment and attention in these areas.
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