New Zealand has recorded the highest child suicide rate among 43 wealthy countries, and it ranks near the bottom in terms of youth mental health and well-being, said a UNICEF report released on Wednesday.
The latest UNICEF Innocenti Report Card 19: Fragile Gains—Child Wellbeing at Risk in an Unpredictable World ranked New Zealand 32nd out of 36 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and EU countries for overall child well-being.
The report card also revealed that New Zealand had the highest child suicide rate, with 17.1 per 100,000 children, nearly three times the average of the countries listed.
Japan and South Korea also placed near the bottom in mental health, ranking 32nd and 34th, respectively. Australia was not included in the ranking due to a lack of mental health data.
Between 2018 and 2022, suicide rates among adolescents in Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand worsened by more than 5%, while Australia recorded a more than 5% improvement, the report said.
"The last five years have shown warning signs in deteriorating life satisfaction and falling academic skills in most countries," it said. The report also noted a rise in childhood obesity.
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."
