Publications

Report Card 17 explores how 43 OECD/EU countries are faring in providing healthy environments for children. Do children have clean water to drink? Do they have good-quality air to breathe? Are their homes free of lead and mould? How many children live in overcrowded homes? How many have access to green play spaces, safe from road traffic?

Data show that a nation’s wealth does not guarantee a healthy environment. Far too many children are deprived of a healthy home, irreversibly damaging their current and future well-being.

Beyond children’s immediate environments, over-consumption in some of the world’s richest countries is destroying children’s environments globally. This threatens both children worldwide and future generations. To provide all children with safe and healthy environments, governments, policymakers, businesses and all stakeholders are called to act on a set of policy recommendations.

La Report Card 17 analizza i risultati ottenuti da 43 paesi dell'OCSE/UE nel garantire ambienti sani per i bambini. I bambini bevono acqua potabile? Respirano aria di buona qualità? Le loro case sono prive di piombo e muffa? Quanti bambini vivono in case sovraffollate? Quanti hanno accesso ad aree di gioco verdi e lontane dal traffico stradale?

I dati dimostrano che la ricchezza di una nazione non garantisce un ambiente sano. Troppi bambini non vivono in un ambiente domestico salubre, una condizione che determina danni irreversibili al loro benessere attuale e futuro.

I consumi eccessivi in alcuni dei paesi più ricchi del mondo, stanno distruggendo sia gli ambienti con cui i bambini sono strettamente a contatto che quelli a livello globale. Una minaccia per l’infanzia e l’adolescenza di tutto il mondo e per le generazioni future. Per garantire a tutti i bambini ambienti sani e sicuri, i governi, i responsabili politici, le imprese e tutte le parti interessate sono chiamati ad agire sulla base di una serie di raccomandazioni politiche.

Le Bilan Innocenti 17 examine comment 43 pays de l'OCDE/UE réussissent à offrir un environnement sain aux enfants. Disposent-ils d’eau potable ? Respirent-ils un air de qualité ? Vivent-ils dans des foyers exempts de plomb et de moisissure ? Combien d’enfants vivent dans des foyers surpeuplés ? Combien d’entre eux ont accès à des espaces de jeu verts, loin des dangers de la circulation routière ?

Les données indiquent que la richesse d’une nation ne signifie pas qu’un environnement sain est assuré. Un trop grand nombre d’enfants ne bénéficient pas d’un foyer sain dans lequel s’épanouir, ce qui nuit irréversiblement à leur bien-être actuel et futur.

Au-delà de l'environnement immédiat des enfants, le phénomène de surconsommation dans les pays les plus riches entraîne une dégradation de l’environnement pour les enfants du monde entier. Cette dégradation constitue une menace, non seulement pour les enfants à l’échelle planétaire, mais aussi pour les générations futures. Afin de protéger et améliorer l’environnement des enfants, les gouvernements, les décideurs, les entreprises et toutes les parties prenantes sont appelés à agir sur un ensemble de recommandations politiques.

El informe Report Card n.º 17 analiza cómo es la situación en 43 países de la OCDE/UE en la provisión de entornos saludables para los niños. ¿Tienen agua no contaminada que puedan beber? ¿Aire de buena calidad para respirar? ¿Están sus hogares libres de plomo y moho? ¿Cuántos niños viven en condiciones de hacinamiento en sus casas? ¿Cuántos tienen acceso a zonas verdes para jugar a salvo del tráfico?

Los datos muestran que la riqueza de un país no garantiza un entorno saludable. Muchos niños se ven privados de vivir en hogares saludables, lo que daña de forma irreversible su bienestar actual y futuro.

 Más allá de los entornos inmediatos de los niños, el consumo excesivo en los países más ricos está destruyendo los entornos de la infancia globalmente. Esto amenaza no solo a los niños de todo el mundo como a las generaciones futuras. A efecto de poder proporcionar a todos los niños entornos seguros y saludables, los gobiernos, los encargados de formular políticas, las empresas y todas los actores interesados se les solicita actuar sobre un conjunto de recomendaciones de políticas.

COVID-19 lockdowns have significantly disrupted the daily lives of children and adolescents, with increased time at home, online learning and limited physical social interaction. This report seeks to understand the immediate effects on their mental health. Covering more than 130,000 children and adolescents across 22 countries, the evidence shows increased stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms, as well as increased alcohol and substance use, and  externalizing behavioural problems.

Children and adolescents also reported positive coping strategies, resilience, social connectedness through digital media, more family time, and relief from academic stress. Factors such as demographics, relationships and pre-existing conditions are critical.

 To ensure children and adolescents are supported, the report recommends building the evidence on the longer-term impact of the pandemic on child and adolescent mental health in low- and middle-income countries, including vulnerable populations.

Even before COVID-19, some of the world’s richest countries were failing to offer comprehensive childcare solutions to all families. In some instances, this reflected their policy priorities rather than available resources. The COVID-19 pandemic also challenged children’s education, care and well-being as parents struggled to balance their responsibilities for childcare and employment, with a disproportionate burden placed on women. In the context of lockdown and school closures, childcare was one of the worst affected family services and had a significant knock-on effect.

This report shows how governments can help parents through paid parental leave, followed by affordable and high-quality childcare. Using the most recent comparable data, it assesses the parental leave and childcare policies in the 41 high-income countries that are part of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) or the European Union (EU). The report concludes with nine recommendations for how policies can be improved to provide comprehensive solutions to all families.

COVID-19 constitutes the greatest crisis that high-income countries have seen in many generations. While many high-income countries experienced the global financial crisis of 2007–2008, or have had national recessions, the COVID-19 pandemic is much more than that. COVID-19 is a social and economic crisis, sparked by a protracted health crisis.

High-income countries have very limited experience of dealing with health crises, having their health and human services stretched beyond capacity, restricting the travel of their populations or having to close workplaces and schools – let alone experience of all of these things combined. These unique conditions create new and serious challenges for the economies and societies of all high-income countries. As these challenges evolve, children – as dependants – are among those at greatest risk of seeing their living standards fall and their personal well-being decline.

This new UNICEF Innocenti report explores how the social and economic impact of the pandemic is likely to affect children; the initial government responses to the crisis; and how future public policies could be optimized to better support children. 

A new look at children from the world’s richest countries offers a mixed picture of their health, skills and happiness. For far too many, issues such as poverty, exclusion and pollution threaten their mental well-being, physical health and opportunities to develop skills. Even countries with good social, economic and environmental conditions are a long way from meeting the targets set in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Focused and accelerated action is needed if these goals are to be met.

The evidence from 41 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and European Union (EU) countries tells its own story: from children’s chances of survival, growth and protection, to whether they are learning and feel listened to, to whether their parents have the support and resources to give their children the best chance for a healthy, happy childhood. This report reveals children’s experiences against the backdrop of their country’s policies and social, educational, economic and environmental contexts.