Publication Date: 2025/05/13

TORONTO, May 13, 2025 – When it comes to places to grow up in, Canada is barely getting a passing grade. UNICEF Report Card 19, which looks at the state of child and youth well-being across high-income countries, ranks Canada 19th out of 36 countries, far below the top tier expected of one of the world’s the wealthiest nations.  Even as Canada’s national wealth has risen over the past 25 years, it’s progress on indicators of child well-being has largely stalled, with mental health of particular concern. 

To dive further into Canada’s performance, UNICEF Canada is also publishing Childhood Interrupted: How Canada’s Child Well-Being Compares to Other Wealthy Countries, a companion summary report for Report Card 19. It warns that Canadian children today are less happy than 10 years ago. In fact, one in five children report experiencing frequent bullying and just as many have reported loneliness at school. 

Canada received mixed results in other key areas of the report: 

  • One in four children have difficulty making friends; ranking 28th 
  • Despite progress, Canada maintains a high rate of adolescent suicide; ranking 33rd  
  • Canada ranks in the top 10 countries in only one area: academic skills; ranking 6th 
  • Life satisfaction among children saw a decline from 83% in 2010 to just under 76% in 2022; ranking 13th   

Countries with less wealth than Canada like Portugal and Spain showed better child outcomes, ranking 4th and 7th respectively. The Netherlands, Denmark and France topped the list taking podium positions.  

“Canada is standing at an important crossroads as a nation. We have big choices to make that will define the quality of life for generations of children,” said Sevaun Palvetzian, President and CEO of UNICEF Canada. “This report puts a spotlight on the areas we need prioritized for our children and youth: their health, safety, education, and happiness. Resting on our laurels will not take us into the future we need – or that our children deserve.” 

The report warns that children and young people today are facing a ‘polycrisis’ of stresses – from the lingering impacts of the most severe pandemic in a century, to the fastest price inflation in a generation, to the increased risk of exposure to harm and bullying on social media. 

"As a young person and mental health advocate, I’m deeply disappointed by how the life satisfaction of children and youth in Canada is falling. Good mental health is the foundation for childhood, yet it continues to be overlooked,” said UNICEF Canada’s Youth Advocate Matin Moradkhan. "We are calling for fundamental policy change to our education, funding, and healthcare system, so every child and young person has the opportunity to thrive." 

Canada’s performance compared to its peer countries demonstrates that public policies are not yet sufficient to nurture children’s potential and protect them from the economic, social, technological and environmental disruptions. UNICEF Canada is calling on all levels of government to:  

  • Strengthen income benefits, parental leave, school food programs and affordable child care to give children the best start in life.  
  • Establish a National Commissioner who ensures children's needs stay in focus through every government decision.     
  • Ensure children can access the mental health support they need, starting by including younger children in the federal Youth Mental Health Fund.   
  • Implement Jordan’s Principle to ensure equitable access for First Nations children to all government services and support.   

Download Report Card 19 here, and the Canadian Companion summary here. A more extensive version of the Canadian Companion will be available in the coming weeks. 

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 About UNICEF’s Report Card Series 

As the world’s knowledge leader for children, UNICEF is committed to collecting and sharing critical information on the situation of children around the world. For more than 25 years, UNICEF has published a Report Card series on the well-being of children in high-income countries. By making this data and analysis publicly available, parliamentarians and policy-makers have the information they need to make decisions in the best interest of every child, and all Canadians, including those working in the child well-being sector, will have the tools they need to be a part of the solution. 

About UNICEF  

UNICEF is the world’s leading humanitarian organization focused on children. We work in the most challenging areas to provide protection, healthcare and immunizations, education, safe water and sanitation and nutrition. As part of the United Nations, our unrivalled reach spans more than 190 countries and territories, ensuring we are on the ground to help the most disadvantaged children. While part of the UN system, UNICEF relies entirely on voluntary donations to finance our life-saving work. Please visit unicef.ca and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. 

To arrange interviews or for more information, please contact:  

Marie-Claude Rouillard 

Deputy Director, Communications (National Media), UNICEF Canada  

(514) 232-4510  

MRouillard@unicef.ca    

 

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About UNICEF

UNICEF is the world’s leading humanitarian organization focused on children. We work in the most challenging areas to provide protection, healthcare and immunizations, education, safe water and sanitation and nutrition. As part of the United Nations, our unrivaled reach spans more than 190 countries and territories, ensuring we are on the ground to help the most disadvantaged children. While part of the UN system, UNICEF relies entirely on voluntary donations to finance our life-saving work. Please visit unicef.ca and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

For further information please contact:

Media@unicef.ca