The publication The economic costs of childhood socio-economic disadvantage in European OECD countries, based on survey data from 27 countries across Europe, is now available online on the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) website.

"Growing up in conditions of socio-economic disadvantage – reads the abstract of the document - has important and lasting effects on the lives of children. Children from disadvantaged families often lag behind in many areas of well-being and development, with effects that continue to limit their opportunities and outcomes - including those related to health and the labour market - long after they reach adulthood".

The publication explores how the socio-economic disadvantage of children affects the labour market and health in adulthood, assessing the national GDP-equivalent cost of the disadvantage of children due to loss of employment, earnings and health, as well as the costs of loss of public revenue and expenditure on social benefits. The results indicate that the socio-economic disadvantage of children has a high cost for societies, amounting on average to 3.4% of annual GDP.

The document, in English, is available in the "Publications" section, on the dedicated page.

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