Netherlands drops 22nd place on KidsRights Index; Lowest position yet

The Netherlands has dropped one position on the KidsRights Index and is now in its lowest spot yet at 22nd place. In four years, the Netherlands has dropped from a top-10 position to outside the top 20. Top concerns in the Netherlands this year are increasing childhood obesity and child mortality.

A key finding in the report is that 13.4 percent of Dutch children and teenagers between the ages of 4 and 20 are overweight or obese. For children under 5, the figure is 5.4 percent.

Another worrying trend is the increase in child mortality. Among children under five, the number of deaths in the Netherlands rose from 3.91 to 3.96 per 1,000 live births. That puts the Netherlands above the average for Western Europe of 3.3 deaths per 1,000 children born alive.

This particularly affects people in poorer districts and vulnerable situations. A recent study by Erasmus MC in Rotterdam showed that infant mortality in poorer Dutch neighborhoods is approximately twice as high as in affluent areas.

Other concerns in the Netherlands this year include childhood poverty, the online distribution of child sexual abuse images, the quality of youth care, and the lack of priority for children’s rights in policy and decision-making, especially regarding asylum and immigration. Last year, the biggest concerns in the Netherlands were a declining vaccination rate and the pressure social media puts on children’s well-being.

In 22nd place of the 194 ranked countries, the Netherlands now ranks below countries like Thailand and Lithuania. Globally, children’s rights are under increasing pressure due to escalating armed conflict, a sharp rise in conflict-related sexual violence against children, and a global childhood obesity epidemic.

“Children are increasingly exposed to risks they did not create and cannot control”, said Marc Dullaert, Founder and Chairman of KidsRights. “Whether children are growing up in the shadow of war or in environments that undermine their health, the result is the same: their rights, well-being, and future opportunities are being put at risk. The world is failing to provide children with the protection they are entitled to.”