Kids in These Nations Are Most Satisfied With Their Lives

by Christina Gvaliant

Compared to children happy with their lives, far fewer children with low life satisfaction felt that they had people who supported them.

Living in a wealthy nation is no guarantee of happiness. Even before the Covid-19 crisis created greater divides, the daily lives of millions of children in the richest countries fell far short of a good childhood. No matter the wealth of these countries, better health or education is not universal. 

Many children suffer from stress, anxiety and depression, lag behind their peers at school, and are physically unwell. And, according to new research from the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, even the best-performing countries have room for significant improvement when it comes to ensuring consistently high child well-being.

The latest UNICEF Innocenti Report Card measures 41 countries against three main categories: mental well-being, covering life satisfaction and suicide rates; physical health including rates of obesity and child mortality; and skills, both academic and social.

Rich Countries and Child Well-Being

  • A strong track record in mental well-being and skills places the Netherlands at the top of the table, with other regularly well-performing Nordic nations clustered not far behind.
  • What may be less obvious, though, is how disrupted this hierarchy becomes when looking at children’s life satisfaction.
  • Fifteen-year-olds were asked how satisfied they felt with their life on a scale from 0 to 10. In all countries, most children were reasonably happy with their lives, scoring five and above.
  • While 90% of children in the Netherlands reported a score over the halfway point, kids in Mexico and Romania were not far behind.

Support Networks

Compared to children happy with their lives, far fewer children with low life satisfaction felt that they had people who supported them. Almost a quarter of them said they didn’t feel safe at home.

Good relationships are crucial for children – those with more supportive families have better mental well-being.

Although about child mental health across rich countries is patchy, suicide is one of the most common causes of death for adolescents aged 15 to 19.

Still a Way to go

Many countries need to make significant improvements if they are going to deliver on their commitments to the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. And following the pandemic, there are worrying signs of regression, particularly in areas such as immunization, learning and mental health, UNICEF warns.

Mental Well-Being

  • New research shows many rich nations still have room for improvement when it comes to ensuring policies and social contexts lead to children’s well-being – and Covid-19 has exaggerated many divides.
  • Children in Nordic countries generally have the highest rates of well-being, but Mexico and Romania have among the highest levels of life satisfaction.
  • Many more children with low levels of life satisfaction feel they lack a support network. Body image also has a role to play.
  • There are signs that some countries are regressing – particularly following the pandemic – and will struggle to meet their commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals.

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