Colman Noctor: Learning from the Dutch approach, where teenagers have high life satisfaction
Dutch teenagers consistently report high levels of life satisfaction, outperforming their peers across Europe. According to a 2024 study , only 6.7% of Dutch 15-year-olds reported low life satisfaction, compared to the European average of 16.6%
Last week, UNICEF released a report entitled ‘Child Wellbeing in an Unpredictable World’, which revealed that Irish teenagers are among the least satisfied with life in high-income countries. Nearly one in three 15-year-olds reported low life satisfaction, and Ireland was ranked 24th for adolescent mental wellbeing among OECD and EU countries.
We have been experiencing a happiness recession for some time now. I have met many young people who appear apathetic about school and friends. Despite having no obvious stressors, they describe a lack of satisfaction with everyday life. I commonly hear young people ask ‘What's the point?’ when it comes to existential questions about their lives, and I get a worrying, eerie sense of emptiness from many young people I see.
