17th February, 2007
More than 11 per cent of Australian children live in poverty, according to a new report from UNICEF.

The report, Child Poverty in Perspective: An Overview of Child Well-Being in Rich Countries, examined more than 20 OECD nations with regard to 40 indicators covering subjects ranging from health, safety and education through to behaviour, their sense of well-being and parents.

The study found that 11.6 per cent of children in Australia live in poverty, defined as living in a house with an income less than 50 per cent of the national median. Of the nations examined in the study, Australia ranked 14th with regard to child health and safety, 7th in educational well-being, 23rd with regard to the proportion of children growing up in a household without an employed adult and in the bottom half of the table for infant mortality.

The Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and Finland topped the report for overall well-being while the US came in to 20 and the UK at 21. Australia was among nine countries which had insufficient data to be included in the overall ranking.

The report found that all countries had weaknesses to be addressed and that there was “no strong or consistent relationship” between per capita GDP and child welfare.

~ www.unicef.org

- DAVID ADAMS