UK is raising one of the unhealthiest generations of children in decades

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) has updated its landmark State of Child Health report, which looks at the health of children across 12 indicators.

Nearly a decade after its first publication, this latest analysis has found that children’s health in the UK across all areas is either in decline or has stalled completely.

Ranging from infant mortality and mental health to obesity, immunisation, and asthma, the report concludes that widening inequalities, gaps in data and chronic underinvestment are putting the health of a generation at risk.

The report found in England:

• Only 84% of children receive two doses of the MMR vaccine by age five, well below the WHO 95% target.
• More than one in three (36%) children aged 10–11 is overweight or severely overweight.
• One in five children aged 8–16 has a probable mental health disorder.
• Children in the most deprived areas are four times more likely to die from asthma.
• Infant mortality in the most deprived communities is more than double that seen in the least deprived areas.

Health of children not improving

Alongside its wider analysis, a recent YouGov poll commissioned by RCPCH found that only 12% of parents believe child health has improved over the last ten years, suggesting that progress has not been felt by families and that much more remains to be done.

RCPCH is calling on the UK government to make child health a national priority, not an afterthought.

The State of Child Health sets out a clear plan to improve children’s health and reduce inequalities:

• Invest fairly and consistently in children’s health services and the workforce.
• Improve the collection and sharing of child health data across the UK.
• Introduce binding national targets to improve child health outcomes and narrow the gap between the most and least deprived.

With a new prime minister soon taking office, RCPCH calls on the government to act before another generation of children gets let down.

RCPCH officer for health improvement, Dr Helen Stewart, said:

The UK’s record on children’s health should be a national embarrassment. Across Western Europe, many other countries are achieving better outcomes for children, yet too many children here are being left behind.

The State of Child Health report shows that we are categorically failing children in the UK, but especially those from ethnic minorities and poorer backgrounds.

When the Darzi Review was published in 2024, it laid bare the scale of children’s worsening health in England and was meant to mark a turning point. Instead, despite the warnings, little has changed.

Without action, more children will grow up in poor health, entering adulthood at a disadvantage and putting even greater pressure on families and public services.

In their first 100 days, the new prime minister should set out how they will make children’s health a priority through sustained investment, better use of data and clear national targets. Paediatricians have provided the blueprint, now policymakers must listen.

Rachel de Souza, children’s commissioner for England, said:

Children all over the country want to grow up healthy, happy, and able to fulfil their potential – yet too many children are being held back by circumstances beyond their control, and too many families are experiencing tragedy.

Factors such as where children live and family finances shouldn’t determine whether they can have a healthy start in life. But some of our poorest children are facing the greatest barriers to good health.

This important report shows that the country is not only overseeing a decline in children’s health but also failing to uphold their rights.

Improving children’s health and wellbeing must be at the heart of government decision making. We must ensure every child who can be is vaccinated, every mother and baby gets dedicated care, and that every area is held to account for doing so.

We have to tackle problems before they escalate and make sure every child can access the support they need, regardless of where they live.

Sebastian Rees, head of health at the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), said:

IPPR has long argued that the UK has become the sick man of Europe on health. This report from RCPCH shows that this starts at a very early age. For a government committed to giving every child the best start in life, that should be of huge concern and deserves far more attention than it currently receives.

Poor health in childhood doesn’t just have a huge impact on young people and their families in the here and now – it also casts a long shadow. IPPR’s own research shows that poor health in childhood carries through the entire life course, shaping people’s health and opportunities decades later.

This is a complex, multifaceted problem that requires action right across government, but a Children’s Health Investment Standard that protects spending on vital early years services would be a great place to start.

Dr Sunil Bhopal, director of child health research at Born in Bradford, said:

This solutions-focused report shows that many of the challenges facing children’s health are not inevitable.

By tracking the lives of thousands of children and families for over 20 years, our work at Born in Bradford shows that these challenges are often the product of inequalities and circumstances that policy has the power to change.

‘State of Child Health 2026’ combines robust data with the experiences of children, young people and clinicians.

It puts the evidence in front of the people with the power to act on it.

Featured image via the Canary