Finland slips in UNICEF´s Child Well-Being ranking

Finland's ranking dropped to 17 place in the Child Well-Being index published by the United Nations International Children's Emergency Funda (UNICEF) on Tuesday.

The ranking of Finland was fifth in the previous index published by UNICEF in 2020.

The report compared the situation of 43 countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Union (EU) based on the children and adolescents’ mental well-being, physical health and skills.

The Netherlands has topped in the index followed by Denmark, France, Portugal and Ireland.

Chile has ended up at the bottom of the list followed by Türkiye, Mexico, Colombia and New Zealand.

Finland´s rank was among the three lowest countries considering the suicide rate among 15 to 19-year-olds.

The report compared the six markers of child well-being that were first analysed in Report Card 16 published in 2020: life satisfaction, adolescent suicide, child mortality, overweight, academic proficiency and social skills.

“Prior to the pandemic, children were already struggling on multiple fronts, and didn’t have access to adequate support – even in wealthy countries,” said UNICEF Innocenti Director, Bo Viktor Nylund.

“Now, in the face of rising economic uncertainty, countries need to prioritise children’s education, health and wellbeing to secure their lifetime prospects and happiness, as well as our societies’ economic security,” the Director added.

News agency Xinhua adds: Among the most alarming findings is a surge in youth suicide rates. Finland now ranks among the bottom three countries for suicides among 15- to 19-year-olds, with only Estonia and New Zealand ranking lower. Official statistics reveal that 120 Finnish youths died by suicide in 2022 alone.

The report also highlighted rising childhood obesity and declining educational performance as significant contributors to the country's downward trend. The only area showing improvement was child mortality, while indicators related to life satisfaction and social skills remained largely unchanged.

"By these measures, Finland can no longer be considered a model country for child well-being," said Sanna Koskinen, head of Child-Friendly Governance at UNICEF Finland. "This drop should be a wake-up call."

In response to the growing mental health crisis, the Finnish government has introduced new measures, including a "therapy guarantee" that took effect in May 2025. Under this policy, individuals under the age of 23 are entitled to receive professional therapy within 28 days through the public healthcare system once a need is identified.

Koskinen emphasized that while these initiatives are important, they represent only the beginning of a broader transformation. She called for a comprehensive, integrated approach to child welfare that includes better access to mental health care, improved substance abuse treatment, and targeted reforms in the education system.

She also raised concern over increasing child poverty in Finland. "Children from low-income families are at greater risk of falling behind in school and experiencing social exclusion," she warned. According to official figures, approximately 144,000 children in Finland currently live in financially vulnerable households.