Teenagers in Britain have been ranked the lowest for life satisfaction in a survey of 29 European countries for the second time in a row.
The survey showed that girls and those from disadvantaged backgrounds were of particular concern.
The Children’s Society examined data from the most recent OECD PISA survey, which covers nearly 200,000 15-year-olds across Europe.
On average, teenagers in Britain reported the lowest life satisfaction score, at 6.73 out of 10.
The figures also revealed that 18% of teenagers in Britain reported low life satisfaction.
While this figure was higher than most other countries, it wasn’t the highest. Teenagers in Germany and Czechia, while reporting an average satisfaction level above those in Britain, had higher proportions reporting low life satisfaction.
The figures on low life satisfaction also revealed something of a gender gap among teenagers in Britain. While 16% of boys reported low life satisfaction, the figure rose to 20% among girls.
Wealth proved to be a greater problem than gender, however. Over a quarter (26%) of teenagers from disadvantaged backgrounds reported low life satisfaction, compared with 11% of those from the least disadvantaged groups.
While other countries surveyed also reported a correlation between wealth and life satisfaction, Britain’s divide between those at the top and the bottom of society was the largest, with the 15% gap being more than double the average gap of 6%.
Mark Russell, chief executive of The Children’s Society, said, “For the second time running, young people in the U.K. are telling us they are less satisfied with their lives than teenagers anywhere else in Europe. This isn’t a one-off. It’s a pattern, and it should be a wake-up call.
“What’s especially concerning is the size of the gap between the richest and poorest teenagers here. Nowhere else in Europe is a young person’s life satisfaction so closely tied to their family’s circumstances. That’s not inevitable. It’s a result of choices, and it can be changed.”
