Canada’s performance on child well-being continues to fall short

UNICEF’s latest Global Report Card 20 ("At A Glance") ranks Canada 22nd out of 37 peer countries on child well-being. For a country with Canada’s wealth and resources, this is a disappointing result. 

Canada has introduced programs that have delivered some benefits for children and youth. However, the evidence shows these efforts are not enough to tackle child poverty or meaningfully improve children’s mental and physical health.

Report Card 20 makes it clear that Canada's performance on child well-being is not improving:

  • By international measures, one in five children in Canada live in poverty. By Canada’s official measure, the child poverty rate is 11.5%—nearly double what it was in 2020.
  • Child mortality is rising. At the current rate, an estimated one in every thousand 
    five-year-olds in Canada will not reach their 15th birthday. 
  • Canada continues to have one of the highest adolescent suicide rates among wealthy nations.

It also shows that economic inequalities have a negative impact on children’s well-being. At a time of economic upheaval, this connection cannot be ignored.

A Canada that does not prioritize children cannot be truly strong

With a newly secured majority government, the Prime Minister has the opportunity to advance his "Canada Strong" vision, and children can’t be left out. UNICEF Canada is calling on the federal government—and Members of Parliament of all parties—to adopt Bill S-212, which would create a National Strategy for Children and Youth. This strategy would create a coordinated plan of action that makes improving children’s lives and well-being a national priority.

Without unified action, too many children continue to grow up in poverty or fall through the cracks of a fragmented system.

At a time of upheaval and change, decision-makers cannot leave children out of Canada's future. We must ensure that Canada’s resilience strategy includes building a resilient generation of children and youth.

What is Report Card 20?

UNICEF’s Report Card 20 is a global assessment of child and youth well being in peer countries. The Canadian Companion distills and interprets data from the global UNICEF Report Card, placing international findings in a Canadian context.

Like a school report card, UNICEF’s Report Card 20 evaluates how countries are performing based on key indicators of child and youth well-being. These indicators include:

  • Life satisfaction
  • Adolescent suicide rates
  • Child mortality
  • Overweight rates
  • Academic and social skills

The report organizes these measures across three main areas of life: mental well-being, physical health and skills development.

How does Canada compare to other countries?

The full Canada report will be released soon.