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KidsRights Index 2025 Now Available

A devastating global mental health crisis among children and adolescents is reaching critical levels, with suicide the third leading cause of death among young people aged 15-29 years. According to the KidsRights Index Report 2025 released today, the only ranking that annually and systematically reviews the global state of children’s rights worldwide.

This year’s study highlights that over 14 percent of children and adolescents aged 10-19 years globally are experiencing mental health concerns, with the global average suicide rate standing at 6 per 100,000 among adolescents aged 15-19 years. However, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child warns that these figures represent only the tip of the iceberg, as suicides remain significantly underreported worldwide due to stigma, misclassification, and inadequate reporting mechanisms.

Visit the KidsRights Index and the interactive map: https://www.kidsrights.org/kidsrights-index/

Marc Dullaert, KidsRights Founder and Chair, stated that: “This year's report is a wake-up call that we cannot ignore any longer. The mental health and/or wellbeing crisis among our children has reached a tipping point, exacerbated by the unchecked expansion of social media platforms that prioritize engagement over child safety.

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The controversy surrounding Netflix's 'Adolescence' in February highlighted global concerns about children's representation and protection in digital media – but we need action, not just outrage".

Directly download the full report (PDF): https://files.kidsrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/10223817/KidsRights-Index-2025-Report.pdf

The KidsRights Index is the annual global index published by the KidsRights Foundation which charts how countries adhere to and are equipped to improve children’s rights. The KidsRights Index is an initiative of the KidsRights Foundation, in cooperation with Erasmus University Rotterdam: Erasmus School of Economics and the International Institute of Social Studies.

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