It’s official. According to a study by the UN children’s organisation, UNICEF, Dutch children are the happiest and enjoy the greatest well-being.
The study looked at the children of 21 wealthy western countries and The Netherlands came out on top, ahead of predictable Scandinavian stalwarts Sweden, Denmark and Finland.
At the other end of the spectrum, the unhappiest children in the western world can be found in the US, in 20th place, and the UK, right at the bottom of the pile in 21st place.
This BBC article gives some good background to the study with insightful quotes from Dutch teenagers.
According to this USA Today article, the British government has criticised the report, claiming that some of the data used in the study is five years old and therefore does not reflect recent improvements in child well-being in the UK. How reassuring it must be to British parents to know that their government has actually been concerned about their children for some five whole years now. Unsurprisingly, UK politicians in opposition parties believe the findings of the study.
Both the BBC and the USA Today article make for good reading, especially if you’re a parent. You can find more using Google.
If you don’t have time to read the 52 page full report, you can suffice with this UNICEF press release. The BBC has also put together a list of the key points at a glance.
With The Netherlands continuing to top the Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index in 2006, there are currently at least two profoundly good things to feel happy about as a resident of this small, wet country.