New Zealand scores 'F for failure' as Unicef report on obesity, youth suicide reveal dismal results

New Zealand has found itself in the bottom in a recent report by Unicef due to poor statistics in childhood obesity and youth suicide.

As per the report by Innocenti, New Zealand was ranked 35 out of 41 developed countries in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and European Union (EU), which Unicef NZ executive director Vivien Maidaborn described as "woeful".

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The country's youth suicide rate stands at 14.9 deaths per 100,000 adolescents, which is second-most in the developed world, according to the report.

It also said only 64 per cent of the country's 15-year-olds have basic skills of mathematics and reading.

Among the OECD countries, New Zealand also has the second-highest obesity rate as one in three children is either obese or overweight.

"The report card gives New Zealand an F for failure when it comes to wellbeing outcomes for children," Maidaborn said as reported by The Guardian.

"This is a woeful result for a country that prides itself on the great outdoors, academic achievement, and the international success of our sports teams. It is time to be alarmed and activated about the inequality of opportunity, health and wellbeing in New Zealand."

After the report went public, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that the findings show previous administration's underinvestment in families and did not cover the recent progress and funding that has been allocated to these areas.

Earlier in December, New Zealand's Children's Commissioner Andrew Becroft said the government had failed to lower child poverty.

His report found that 148,000 children lived in homes with material hardship in six or more regions, which include a lack of access to basics such as warm clothing, health care and food.