Minister for Social Development and Employment Louise Upston says the government is committed to doing the work needed to improve the lives of rangatahi. Photo: 123RF
Warning: This story discusses suicide.
Newly released ranking from UNICEF revealed New Zealand is one of the worst for rangatahi mental health and wellbeing, timely with Budget day 2025.
The latest UNICEF Innocenti Report Card 19: Fragile Gains - Child Wellbeing at Risk in an Unpredictable World ranked New Zealand 32nd out of 36 countries for overall child wellbeing.
It ranked Aotearoa last place for child and youth mental health.
The report card - published a week before Budget day - is a reflection of "systems are valuing the wrong things", Wellbeing Economy Alliance director Gareth Hughes noted.
"This ranking should be a wake-up call for all of our elected representatives, but we also need to remember these aren't just rankings, these are real people.
"They're reflective of the values that we're expressing collectively. These aren't automatic outcomes, these are the result of policy choices and we can make better policy choices."
Hughes hoped the budget would place an emphasis on child wellbeing.
"We all hear in our day-to-day lives that young people are struggling.
"They struggle when they compare themselves to their parents' generations and some of the opportunities they might've had, but also they're struggling with bullying."
Wellbeing Economy Alliance director Gareth Hughes. Photo: ©VNP / Phil Smith
Report card 19 revealed that before Covid, Aotearoa youth suicide rate was the second highest in the world, now, after Covid it is the highest.
"We've known for many years about our dire youth suicide statistics, and this report is just another reminder for too many young people - we're seeing them take a terrible action as a result of the despair they're seeing in their lives."
Alongside the ranking, the number of children living in poverty grew from 144,100 in 2023 to 156,600, according to StatsNZ.
Hughes said those statistics were worsening in Aotearoa.
"It's even higher rates for Māori, Pasifika, and disabled Kiwis. We need to make sure that we're living our values, which is, I believe, we're a country that wants to see every young person with great opportunities and a chance at success.
"We need to look at the wider systemic causes - why young people are struggling in modern Aotearoa?"
Chief Children's Commissioner Dr Claire Achmad said the rankings showed investment in children and young people was urgently needed to support child and youth mental health, including suicide prevention measures, and to better support the prevention of bullying in schools and communities.
"This is necessary to deliver on the government's own Child and Youth Strategy to make New Zealand the best place in the world to be a child," she said.
"It's devastating that among other high-income countries, we reported the highest youth suicide rate. We also know that attempted suicide rates for rangatahi Māori, Rainbow children and young people and disabled children are higher."
Minister for Social Development and Employment Louise Upston. Photo: RNZ / Reece Baker
Minister for Social Development and Employment Louise Upston recognised more work needed to be done to improve the lives of rangatahi, which she said, the government was committed to doing.
"The Child and Youth Strategy sets out our plan to improve the lives of young Kiwis by creating social and economic prosperity - something that will benefit New Zealand's current and future generations.
"Our strategy aligns with many of the recommendations made by Innocenti such as those focused on improving child mental and physical health, and ensuring young New Zealanders are well supported to achieve core proficiencies in reading, writing and maths."
It was pointed out to RNZ by the ministers office that New Zealand ranked 35th in September 2020, which is the next most recent Innocenti report.
"We are committed to giving New Zealanders more opportunities to get ahead, including investing in children and young people to ensure they experience a good life."
Where to get help:
- Need to Talk? Free call or text 1737 any time to speak to a trained counsellor, for any reason.
- Lifeline: 0800 543 354 or text HELP to 4357.
- Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 / 0508 TAUTOKO. This is a service for people who may be thinking about suicide, or those who are concerned about family or friends.
- Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757 or text 4202.
- Samaritans: 0800 726 666.
- Youthline: 0800 376 633 or text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz.
- What's Up: 0800 WHATSUP / 0800 9428 787. This is free counselling for 5 to 19-year-olds.
- Asian Family Services: 0800 862 342 or text 832. Languages spoken: Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, and English.
- Rural Support Trust Helpline: 0800 787 254.
- Healthline: 0800 611 116.
- Rainbow Youth: (09) 376 4155.
- OUTLine: 0800 688 5463.
If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
