Britain is lagging behind other countries on child inequality

Britain is trailing behind other developed countries in the levels of inequality in child well-being, according to a new report by Unicef.

There is a growing divide between children from wealthy and disadvantaged backgrounds in the UK, the new study shows.

Britain is struggling to tackle gaps in child health, education and income inequality, it says.

Among the key areas of concern, the UK was ranked bottom out of 37 countries for the disparities in healthy eating between children from differing social and financial backgrounds.

The report also reveals that British children suffer from one of the largest gaps in the levels of physical activity enjoyed by different socio-economic groupings.

Britain is ranked 25th overall for education outcomes, with as many as one in 10 students failing to meet minimum proficiency levels in reading, science and maths.

The findings reveal that British children from disadvantaged backgrounds are now lagging behind Slovenia, Poland and Romania for their ability in the three key subjects.

Lily Caprani, Unicef UK's deputy executive director, said the report's findings show that Government ambitions to eradicate child poverty in the UK are unlikely to materialise in the near future.

"We must be more ambitious for our children, Britain can and must do better," she said.

"The UK Government should adopt, as a matter of urgency, a childhood obesity strategy that promotes and supports healthy lifestyles for low-income children.

"It must also act to further reduce income inequality, which includes protecting social transfers."

Denmark was ranked first in the report's findings, while Israel and Turkey were found to have the highest levels of child inequality.

The UK was ranked 14th overall, tied with Germany, Greece and Hungary.

Children's Commissioner Anne Longfield said: "Children and young people in England have great opportunities, but Unicef's report highlights the difficulties faced by up to a million children who continue to fare worse than the majority.

"We know from other research that there has been progress in some areas - rates of teen pregnancy and alcohol consumption have decreased - but it is critical struggling families and children get the support they need, particularly in early childhood, before problems take hold.