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.
This year’s Index shows that violence and discrimination against children are a global concern.
The highly alarming trend of discrimination against minority groups has continued across the globe in 2017. Many vulnerable and marginalised groups including refugees and street children are widely discriminated against. KidsRights urges all 165 countries listed in the Index to treat non-discrimination as a policy priority in 2017, as discrimination is severely hampering the opportunities of future generations to reach their full potential.
Top 10
1. Portugal 6. France
2. Norway 7. Sweden
3. Switzerland 8. Thailand
4. Iceland 9. Tunisia
5. Spain 10. Finland
Overall ranking
Portugal is the global frontrunner in 2017. Interestingly, economically prosperous countries are not necessarily outperforming the rest. The Index does not only assess countries’ commitments to children’s rights in absolute terms, but also relative to the available resources. This is reflected, among other examples, by top ten rankings for poorer countries Thailand and Tunisia, which both perform well in cultivating an enabling environment for the rights of the child.
The KidsRights Index’s overall ranking and additional information, including the 2017 KidsRights Index Report and other available information, are available at www.kidsrightsindex.org.