The Netherlands has once again fallen in the ranking for children’s rights. This is partly due to the decreased vaccination rate. Our country also responds “inadequately” to the deteriorating mental well-being of children due to problematic use of social media.
The Netherlands falls outside the top 20 of the international ranking for children’s rights this year. This is partly due to concerns about the declining vaccination rate. For example, the RIVM expressed its concerns last year about the decreased number of vaccinations in children from the age of nine.
Human trafficking and online images of sexual abuse of children are also a factor.
According to the KidsRights Index 2025, a lack of policy and decision-making on asylum and migration, child poverty and the quality of youth care also play a role.
The Netherlands has been falling in the rankings for some time and is now in 21st place. Countries such as Qatar and Lithuania are now higher on the list. Belgium is in 7th place. In 2013 – when the index was set up – the Netherlands was in 3rd place.
The Netherlands does not do enough for mental well-being
According to chairman Marc Dullaert, the Netherlands does not have children’s rights in order. We are also “not prepared for a digital future”. He is referring to the connection between problematic use of social media and a deteriorating mental health in children.
14 percent of children aged ten to nineteen struggle with psychological problems. Research also shows a link between intensive internet and social media use and the increase in the number of suicide attempts among young people.
That requires policy, according to Dullaert. Although phones are banned in the classroom in primary and secondary schools, there is an “inadequate response” to protect the mental health of young people. Dullaert therefore pleads for an obligation for companies to support children and young people.
It is a “wake-up call that we can no longer ignore”, says Dullaert about the outcome. The report advises the government to review social media and impose measures, including requiring age verification.
What is the KidsRights Index?
It is a global ranking that measures how children’s rights are doing in a country every year. The score is determined on the basis of rights to life, health, education, protection and the overall climate in which a child can develop. A total of 194 countries participate. The top 5 this year are Greece, Iceland, Luxembourg, Germany and Monaco. At the very bottom are Afghanistan and South Sudan.