Twenty million children, one in four, in EU countries are at risk of poverty or social exclusion.
This is an increase of almost 1 million children since 2019. More than 11 million children and young people in the EU suffer from mental health issues.
Teenagers are more likely to be exposed to mental health problems, which affect a fifth of young people aged 15 to 19.
This is what emerges from the Unicef report "The condition of children in the European Union 2024" published today where increased poverty, deterioration of mental health, online sexual abuse and exposure to pollution are among the challenges faced by millions of children across the EU.
In view of the European Parliament elections, Unicef urges the European Union to safeguard and strengthen the rights of minors.
Although there is a serious lack of data on mental health at EU level, the report finds - as UNICEF points out - that in several countries there has been an increase in mental health problems among young Europeans during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. 19.
Nearly 1 in 20 children are exposed to high levels of pesticide pollution, which can be particularly harmful to children and has been linked to harmful health effects and developmental delays.
The report also notes that in 2019, the most recent year for which data is available, 472 deaths of children and young people were recorded in the EU due to air pollution, the majority of whom were under one year old.
While creating many opportunities for children and young people, rapid developments in digital technology expose children to abuse, including hate speech, cyberbullying and sexual exploitation.
The report highlights that 1 in 8 children aged 12 and over regularly receive unwanted online requests of a sexual nature.
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