Netherlands falling on KidsRights Index; Concerns about vaccination rate, digital safety

The Netherlands has dropped another two spots on the KidsRights Index, dropping out of the top 20 for the first time. The children’s rights organization behind the annual study, done in collaboration with Erasmus University Rotterdam, raised concerns about the vaccination rate in the Netherlands as well as children’s digital safety, among other things.

The Netherlands ranked 21st this year, down from 19 last year. Countries like Qatar and Lithuania scored better than the Netherlands this year. Our country scored poorly in the domains of life (25th) and health (63), and enabling environment (101). The Netherlands was still in the top ten in the domains of protection (3rd) and education (7).

KidsRights chairman Marc Dullaert told NOS that the Netherlands does not have its fundamental children’s rights in order and is unprepared for the digital future. The government gives too little priority to children in its policy and decision-making, and that is particularly clear in the asylum and migration policy, childhood poverty, and the quality of youth care.

The researchers raised concerns about the mental health of adolescents worldwide. According to the report, 14 percent of children and teens aged 10 to 19 have mental health concerns, and the global average suicide rate is 6 per 100,000 teenagers aged 15 to 19.

“This year’s report is a wake-up call that we cannot ignore any longer,” Dullaert said. “The mental health and/or well-being crisis among our children has reached a tipping point, exacerbated by the unchecked expansion of social media platforms that prioritize engagement over child safety.”

According to Dullaert, the worldwide unrest caused by the Netflix series Adolescence earlier this year shows the concern about protecting children from digital media. “But we need action, not just outrage,” he said. “Governments must move beyond reactive policies and embrace comprehensive strategies that address the root causes of this mental health epidemic. This means mandatory child rights impact assessments for all digital platforms, transparent algorithms designed with child welfare in mind, and robust public-private partnerships that prioritize protection over profit.”

The Netherlands plummeted from 4th place to 20th place on the Index in 2023. In that year, KidsRights raised concerns about Dutch youth care and youth protection, childhood poverty, and poor treatment of child asylum seekers.