Damning report names UK as unhappiest country - with one EU member just a point behind

The UK's children are present the unhappiest successful Europe, according to the study (Image: Getty)

The UK has been identified arsenic having immoderate of the unhappiest radical successful Europe, a damning caller study by The Children’s Society has concluded.

Alarmingly, it is affecting British kids, with the UK ranking lowest successful children's well-being successful Europe, with concerns astir intelligence wellness connected the rise. The society, a registered foundation has released a study looking into the well-being of young radical successful the UK and however they comparison to those successful Europe.

The 2024 Good Childhood Report recovered concluded that, connected average, 16.6 per cent of European youths are dissatisfied with their lives - equivalent to astir 1 successful six crossed the continent.

Unfortunately, the UK reported the worst level of debased beingness restitution among young people, with 25.2 per cent indicating dissatisfaction. A adjacent adjacent was Poland (24.4 per cent) and Malta (23.6 per cent).

Nordic countries Finland and Denmark were overmuch amended with lone 10.8 per cent and 11.3 per cent respectively reporting debased beingness satisfaction.

Jack O’Neill, argumentation and nationalist affairs manager astatine The Children’s Society, told Euronews Health: "The findings from The Good Childhood Report 2024 are alarming and exemplify an unacceptable representation of children’s wellbeing successful the UK.

"It intelligibly shows that young radical successful the UK are experiencing little well-being and beingness restitution compared to their peers crossed Europe, and that the well-being of young radical is besides successful decline."

Data from assorted sources, including the UK Longitudinal Household Survey, The Children’s Society’s yearly survey, and the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), were utilized to compile the league of dissatisfaction.

Mr O’Neill said: "When looking astatine circumstantial measures, we tin spot that the UK performs notably worse than different European countries.

The Children's Society is calling for much enactment from the authorities (Image: Getty)

"While not immoderate azygous origin tin explicate the debased ranking wide erstwhile peculiar areas people truthful poorly, it does suggest their value successful driving this."

Issues raised by children who took portion were rising prices and the cost of living which meant they could not instrumentality portion successful leisure and societal activities and holidays and birthdays had been missed.

Children were besides acrophobic astir a bleak aboriginal of crime, online safety, biology issues specified arsenic clime change, schoolhouse information and bullying and intelligence wellness issues and the deficiency of support.

The society's study said that implicit 270,000 children are inactive waiting for further assistance aft an archetypal referral and agelong waiting times is simply a large issue.

Mr O’Neill said: "We besides cognize that the cost-of-living situation successful the UK is impacting the opportunities for young radical to person downtime oregon bask socialising with friends oregon family.

"Two successful 5 children and young radical surveyed were disquieted astir rising prices, showing that concerns implicit making ends conscionable are filtering down to young radical and expanding their interest and concern.

"We cognize from planetary examination data, and from talking to children and young people, that bullying and the pressures of world accomplishment play connected children’s minds.

"School should beryllium an accidental for young radical to marque lifelong memories, find their inspiration, marque friends and person anticipation for the future, unluckily this doesn’t look to beryllium the lawsuit for immoderate children, and it is important we not lone unlock each child’s imaginable but besides unlock their happiness.

"They told america however schoolhouse makes them disquieted arsenic they are anxious astir exams, disquieted astir failing and not hopeful for the future.

"They said however parks are being unopen down meaning they person obscurity to bent retired with their friends; however enactment for their intelligence wellness tin lone beryllium sought erstwhile they person reached a situation constituent and that their voices are silenced and they don’t consciousness heard."

The nine is present calling connected the authorities for aboriginal involution and preventative intelligence wellness support, making children's well-being a nationalist priority, introducing a Child Poverty Act to warrant that nary household lacks basal necessities, and reforming schoolhouse environments to trim anxiousness and bullying portion enhancing meaningful learning experiences.