Ireland has been ranked ninth out of 21 industrialised countries in a report assessing the well-being of children.
UNICEF said the assessment looked at 40 separate indicators to gauge the quality of the lives of children in the majority of economically advanced nations.
But the study found there was no consistent relationship between a country's wealth and a child's quality of life.
Northern European countries dominated the top half of the table, with child well-being at its highest in the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and Finland.
The United Kingdom came bottom of the list.
The study found Britain lagged behind on key measures of poverty and deprivation, health and safety, relationships, risk-taking and young people's own sense of well-being.
Britain received better ratings for education but languished in the bottom third for all other measures, giving it the lowest overall placing, behind the United States.
The publication of the UNICEF report coincided with the launch of a policy document by children's rights charity Barnardos, relating to the proposed referendum on children's rights and protection.
Speaking in the Dáil this morning, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said that the referendum will have to held in the short term, whether that be April or September.
However Mr Ahern emphasised that he does not wish to have the referendum politicised by a General Election campaign, and cross party agreement was essential.
