Denmark has the lowest level of inequality among children, according to UNICEF’s latest Innocenti Report Card that evaluates children’s living conditions in 41 EU and OECD countries.
The results comprise data based on the inequality of income, educational achievement, self-reported health, and life satisfaction.
Israel and Turkey ranked lowest, while in 19 out of the 41 countries, more than 10 percent of kids live in households with less than half the median income.
Room for improvement
Anne-Mette Friis, the head of the children and youth department at UNICEF Denmark, is pleased Denmark ranked so highly in the international comparison, but believes there is always room for improvement.
“We have made a list of nine things we think children should have in their life such as a computer, a private room and a decent meal a day,” Friis told Metroxpress.
“We know there are children who don’t have these things in their everyday lives.”
Making children’s well-being a priority
UNICEF suggests governments take action in strengthening children’s welfare – for instance, by providing financial support to the poorest households with kids, promoting healthy lifestyles and assisting disadvantaged children with education.
“The Report Card provides a clear reminder that the well-being of children in any country is not an inevitable outcome of individual circumstances or of the level of economic development, but is shaped by policy choices,” stated Sarah Cook, the head of the UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti.
“As our understanding of the long-term impact of inequality grows, it becomes increasingly clear that governments must place priority on enhancing the well-being of all children today and give them the opportunity to achieve their potential.”
