Almost a quarter of a million children in the UK – the equivalent of 219,000 – are unhappy with their lives as a whole according to new figures from The Children’s Society.

Findings from the charity’s annual Good Childhood Report, which examines the state of children’s well-being in the UK, also reveals children’s happiness with life is at its lowest since 2009.

The report cites issues around boys’ appearance, friendships and school as potential driving factors.

Nearly one in 12 boys aged 10 to 15 – the equivalent of 180,000 – are unhappy with their appearance. Over 13s were significantly less happy with how they look in comparison to 10 to 12-year-olds. Historically, boys have been happier with their appearance than girls, but the gap is now narrowing.

One in eight children are unhappy with school, another key well-being measure that is at its lowest since 2009.

Evidence from year 10 students (mostly aged 14 and 15) suggests that bullying and not feeling safe at school are amongst a range of factors linked to low well-being. The research also found links between income poverty and financial strain and unhappiness with school.

Children’s happiness with their friendships is also decreasing.

The report indicates that 2.8% of children are unhappy with their friends. Wider research suggests this could be down to a number of factors. For example, bullying, being unable to spend time with friends outside of school, excessive social media use and loneliness.

Financial stability is another concern.

The Good Childhood Report shows a third of 10 to 17-year olds have concerns about having enough money in the future. More than a quarter (29%) also worry about having a job. Children as young as 10 worry about broad societal issues.

The most common worries among 10 to 17-year olds are crime (42%), the environment (41%) and information sharing online (37%). Only about a fifth are worried about the economy and Brexit.

Commenting on this year’s report is Mark Russell, chief executive at The Children’s Society. “Modern childhood is a happy and carefree time for most, yet for too many, it is not. It is a national scandal that children’s unhappiness is increasing so quickly.

“Today’s young people are becoming progressively unhappy with their friendships as well as appearance and school. They’re also burdened with fears ranging from worrying about the future and not having enough money to not feeling safe at school and bullying. Many young people also tell us they feel side-lined and ignored by those in power.

“We are urging the Government to introduce a national measurement of children’s well-being so we can really listen, respond, and show young people they matter. Together we can build a brighter future and bring optimism and confidence back to being young.”

The Children’s Society commits to listening to young people and works with them to speak up and speak out; enabling every child to thrive, not just survive.

The Children’s Society is calling on the Government to introduce national measurement of well-being once a year through schools and colleges for all children age 11 to 18. This would enable the experiences of young people to be recorded and issues acted upon  for future generations.

Click here to download a copy of the Good Childhood Report 2019.