U.S. ranks near bottom of advanced nations in child wellness -- new report - The Washington Post

 U.S. ranks near bottom of advanced nations in child wellness -- new report - The Washington Post 

U.S. ranks near bottom of advanced nations in child wellness -- new report 

The United States ranks near the bottom of dozens of advanced nations in terms of the well-being of its children, according to a report with data from before the coronavirus epidemic.

The rankings were published by the United Nations Children’s Fund, known as UNICEF, which show that of 38 advanced countries for which data was compiled in a range of wellness markers, the United States was No. 36. (See ranking chart and full report below).

The Netherlands, Denmark and Norway topped the list, which takes into account data on the mental and physical health of children as well as their skills as measured by international exams. Mental well-being includes both life satisfaction as well as suicide rates; physical health includes rates of overweight and obesity as well as child mortality, and skills focuses both on proficiency in reading and mathematics as well as social skills.

But the report noted that in many of the advanced nations on the list, children are not doing well; in fact, in nearly half, more than 1 in 5 children live in poverty. Of 41 nations ranked on child poverty, the United States was fourth from the bottom.

In 11 of 41 countries, at least 5 percent of households do not have safely managed water, and high levels of air pollution still threaten the physical and mental health of children, who suffer the greatest harms.

Even before the covid-19 crisis, which presents new threats to child well-being, the report said the daily lives of millions of children in the world’s richest nations fell far short of what anyone would call a good childhood.

“They suffered stress, anxiety and depression, lagged behind their peers at school, and were physically unwell,” it says. “Living in a wealthy country did not bring them happiness. Nor did it guarantee them better health or education

(UNICEF 2020)

For the new rankings, data was analyzed from 41 advanced nations (though because of gaps in information, only 38 were ranked on the list below), and a broader view of child well-being was taken CONTINUE READING:  U.S. ranks near bottom of advanced nations in child wellness -- new report - The Washington Post