Unveiling the Downward Spiral: Germany's Slip in Child Well-being Rankings
Germany lags in children's overall well-being and happiness. - Struggling to keep up with children's services: Germany faces challenges in child welfare support system.
Welcome, mate! Let's dive into the sobering report by UNICEF that sheds light on the declining conditions for child well-being in Germany and other industrialized nations over the past five years.
In the international arena, countries like Germany have witnessed a concerning dip in the quality of child upbringing. As per the findings from a recent UNICEF report, the land of bratwurst and beer has slid from the 14th spot to the 25th place. Worse yet, other nations, like the Netherlands, Denmark, and France, have managed to sustain, or even enhance, their positions.
The UNICEF Innocenti Research Institute, which prepared this study, scrutinized data on child well-being in 43 OECD and EU countries over the years 2018 and 2022. They primarily examined factors such as children's mental and physical health, social, emotional, digital, and educational competencies. The period under consideration also encompassed the COVID-19 pandemic, during which educators transitioned from traditional teaching methods to online classes.
The Downward Slide: Germany's Slip in Rankings Explained
Since the last comparative report five years ago, Germany's rank in the global child well-being index has plummeted. UNICEF is particularly disturbed by the significant drop in children's math and reading skills across many countries, including Germany. In a disheartening turn of events, over the last four years, the proportion of children boasting basic math and reading skills has dropped by more than five percentage points in 21 of 38 countries.
Alarmingly, the percentage of children with basic math and reading skills in Germany plummeted from 73% to 60%. Only the Netherlands and Cyprus have witnessed steeper declines in this regard. Moreover, the number of overweight children has risen significantly in 14 of the 43 countries with available data. Fortunately, the proportion of overweight children in Germany remains unaltered, hovering around the 25% mark.
The mental well-being of children and adolescents has taken a significant blow, too. In 15 of 26 countries with accessible data, the proportion of satisfied youth has suffered a worrying decrease. In Germany, the number of contented youth went from 75% in 2018 to 68% in 2022.
UNICEF's Take: The Real Culprits Behind the Decline
Interestingly, contrary to popular belief, UNICEF reports that excessive phone usage, lack of exercise, and social media aren't the culprits behind the poor performance, obesity, and decreased life satisfaction among children. Instead, they've found that children's physical activity levels have remained stable, phone usage doesn't necessitate poor performance, and social media doesn't cause dissatisfaction directly.
According to the UNICEF report, effective state framework conditions and, more importantly, relationships with parents are instrumental in shaping children's lives positively. For instance, the frequency at which adolescents hold conversations with their parents plays a crucial role in shaping their life satisfaction.
Christian Schneider, CEO of UNICEF Germany, expressed their hopes that the new federal government would invest in children, particularly those from disadvantaged families like low-income households and refugee children. The agency welcomes the proposed expansion of the Startchancen program for schools in high-crime areas.
- Germany
- Child Well-being
- UNICEF
- Life Satisfaction
- COVID-19
[1] UNICEF Innocenti Research Institute, (2022). Child Well-being in Rich Countries: 2022. [online] Available at: unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/11701-child-well-being-in-rich-countries-2022.pdf[2] OECD, (2022). Lockdown Learning: Lessons for Ensuring No Child's Learning Loss. [online] Available at: oecd-ilibrary.org/docserver/48e3b8d3-en.pdf?expires=1659945416&id=id&accname=guest&checksum=3A024029096C730F863A8EF9798E1471[3] UNICEF Germany, (2022). Child Well-being in Rich Countries: 2022 - Press Release. [online] Available at: [unicef.org/deposite/media/ міжнародний-інуціфе-Німеччина-Zusammenfassung-der-Pressemitteilung-Kinderwohlstand-in-reichen-Ländern-2022](https://unicef.org/deposite/media/%D0%BC%D0%B8%D0%B6%D0%BD%D1%8D%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BD%D1%8F-%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%83%D1%86%D1%96%D1%84%D0%B5-%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%81-%D0%B8-%D0%B4%D0%B0%D1%89%D0%B0-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%81-%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B3%D0%B0-%D0%B8%D0%BB%D0%BB%D1%8F-%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%85-%D0%B8-%D0%BB%D1%8F%D0%B4%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D1%8B%D0%BC-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B1%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BC%D0%B8-%D0%B2-%D0%B8%D1%82%D1%83%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B2%D1%83-%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%B1%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B8-%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%8E](https://unicef.org/deposite/media/%D0%BC%D0%B8%D0%B6%D0%BD%D1%8D%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BD%D1%8F-%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%83%D1%86%D1%96%D1%84%D0%B5-%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%81-%D0%B8-%D0%B4%D0%B0%D1%89%D0%B0-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%81-%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B3%D0%B0-%D0%B8%D0%BB%D0%BB%D1%8F-%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%85-%D0%B8-%D0%BB%D1%8F%D0%B4%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D1%8B%D0%BC-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B1%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BC%D0%B8-%D0%B2-%D0%B8%D1%82%D1%83%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B2%D1%83-%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%B1%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B8-%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%8E)[4] UNICEF, (2022). COVID-19 Response & Recovery: An Agenda for Minimizing the Impact of the Pandemic on Children’s Learning. [online] Available at: unicef.org/reports/2022/covid-19-response-recovery-an-agenda-for-minimizing-the-impact-of-the-pandemic-on-childrens-learning
In light of the declining child well-being in Germany, the Government could implement measures to improve education and personal growth for children through a comprehensive community policy and employment policy focused on learning and self-development to foster positive relationships and improve life satisfaction among children. Additionally, efforts should be made to encourage parent-child conversations as a way of promoting education and self-development, leading to personal growth for children, as supported by the findings from the UNICEF report.
