The report presents a mixed picture. Over the past 25 years, there have been notable improvements in child well-being 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. But the last five years have shown warning signs in deteriorating life satisfaction and falling academic skills in most countries. Obesity rates are also rising. This combination of trends presents a major challenge to OECD/ EU countries in providing children with the conditions for a good childhood and a positive future. The report shows that the hard-won progress in child well-being in this group of countries is becoming increasingly vulnerable to global events and shocks. UNICEF ranked the Netherlands and Denmark, followed by France, as the top three places to be a child. In contrast, Mexico, Türkiye and Chile were ranked the lowest, based on measures of mental well-being, physical health, and skills. Across 43 countries, an estimated eight million 15-year-olds were assessed as not functionally literate and numerate. That means around half of the age group surveyed could not understand a basic text, raising the alarm over long term development.

Child well-being in an unpredictable world