The Children's Commissioner for England has published a landmark dataset ranking every local authority in the country on how well children are growing up. In London, the results show stark contrasts, with Hounslow ranked as the second most difficult place in the entire UK for a child to grow up, while Merton is the least challenging borough in the capital and second best nationally.
Five Pillars of Childhood Experience
The report assessed children's experiences across five pillars: health, care, community, education, family, and a better world. These pillars included access to mental health services, youth clubs, policing, education, poverty levels, and family life. Local authorities were then ranked across these metrics and assigned an overall score.
The data revealed significant disparities between boroughs. For instance, children in Westminster (1,169 per 10,000 children) are much more likely to be placed in temporary accommodation than children in Hartlepool (1 per 10,000 children). Other London boroughs make up the lowest-scoring 10 areas, with Newham and Lambeth also having more than 1 in 10 children in temporary accommodation.
Poverty and Mental Health Gaps
Poverty rates also vary widely across the capital. In Richmond upon Thames, 10.6 per cent of children live in poverty, compared to 50.3 per cent in Tower Hamlets on the other side of London. North West London spent the most on children's mental health services, allocating £2,410 per referred child in 2024-25.
The report concluded that it is more difficult to be a child in Hounslow than in Merton. However, areas such as Haringey are ranked seventh in the UK, while Sutton is ranked lower. The Commissioner noted that more needs to be done to ensure children across the country are given a fair chance.
Recommendations and Full Borough Ranking
To address these inequalities, the Commissioner made several recommendations, including the creation of a children's emergency fund that local authorities could draw on to 'deliver services that children need'. They also recommended appointing a deputy mayor for children, who would be held accountable for prioritising the needs of children in the area.
Here is the full list of London boroughs, ranked from least challenging to most challenging for a child to grow up in:
- Merton
- Richmond upon Thames
- Haringey
- Kingston upon Thames
- Hammersmith and Fulham
- Sutton
- Havering
- Harrow
- Wandsworth
- Barnet
- Bromley
- Lambeth
- Greenwich
- Southwark
- Redbridge
- Westminster
- Camden
- Hillingdon
- Kensington and Chelsea
- Croydon
- Bexley
- Ealing
- Hackney
- Waltham Forest
- Islington
- Newham
- Brent
- Lewisham
- Barking and Dagenham
- Tower Hamlets
- Hounslow
The City of London was only ranked because the population of children living there isn't large enough to be accurately ranked. A full breakdown of the Children's Commissioner report is available online.
