UNICEF says that since the Covid-19 pandemic, children’s wellbeing in wealthy countries like the UK has taken a tumble.

Kids are more likely not to do their best at school and to have poorer mental and physical health, the charity says.

Its Report Card study compared data from 2018 and 2022. Covid-19 hit in 2020, triggering ‘lockdowns’ that forced us to stay indoors. Lockdowns were to keep us safe and to stop Covid spreading, but they also forced children to miss out on school and spending time with their friends.

Out of 36 countries, the UK ranked almost bottom for teenage life satisfaction, above only Chile and Turkey. The UK also ranked 27th out of 36 for mental health.

UNICEF UK’s Dr Philip Goodwin said the findings should be a “wake-up call” for the government to spend more on supporting children and lifting kids out of poverty.