WASHINGTON: People’s perceptions about two aspects of children’s welfare - whether they are treated with respect and dignity and have the opportunity to learn and grow - provide insight into their hopes for the next generation. When it comes to believing that children in their country are treated with respect and dignity - which nearly all world leaders have pledged to guarantee as signatories to the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child - three of the top five countries where people are most likely to believe this are Gulf states.

In 2023, residents of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates almost universally said children in their country are treated with respect and dignity. Countries in Latin America dominate the bottom of the list - as they have in many years - with just over one in three or fewer residents of Venezuela (35 percent), Bolivia (34 percent), Brazil (34 percent), Honduras (34 percent), Argentina (32 percent) and Peru (30 percent) saying children in their country are treated with respect and dignity. But also making the list again is Iraq (35 percent).

The countries where people are most and least likely to believe children have the opportunity to learn and grow do not necessarily mirror those on the “respect and dignity” list, although there is some overlap in the countries toward the top. Kuwait (95 percent) makes the top five, while the United Arab Emirates (92 percent) and Saudi Arabia (92 percent) narrowly miss making the top 10. Latin American countries are noticeably absent from the list of countries where people are least likely to believe children have the opportunity to learn and grow.

Instead, a host of countries in the Middle East and North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa take their place. Only Iraq, where nearly half of the population is younger than 15, scores among the worst in the world on both children being treated with respect and having the opportunity to learn and grow. After decades of conflict and underinvestment, millions of children in Iraq - especially girls - remain out of school.

Changes in children’s welfare

Although Saudi Arabia ranks high on both measures of youth development - and has for the past several years - this has not always been the case. Over the past decade, Saudis have become increasingly likely to believe children in their country have the opportunity to learn and grow and are treated with respect, with both measures rising by 23 percentage points and 26 points, respectively.

Saudis’ changing perceptions may be linked to the country’s recent investment in education and in its youth, which represents a huge proportion of its population. In recent years, education has received one of the highest proportions of government spending in all areas of Saudi Arabia’s economy, focusing on improving teacher quality, curriculum and attainment levels.

Bottom Line Wellbeing and emotional health in childhood, according to the recent World Happiness Report, are the best predictors of happiness later in life. As such, countries that invest in treating their children with respect and dignity, and affording them the opportunity to learn and grow, are really investing in a prosperous, more sustainable future for all.