Public Health Liverpool

Grow well

Children and young people are at the centre of Liverpool’s future sustainability.  Understanding the importance of key transition points where significant changes occur, such as moving from primary to secondary school, is important in developing policies and interventions that effectively improve health in early years, and give children the best start in life.

Key facts

  • 1 in 3 (32.2%) children in Liverpool live in relative poverty, compared with 1 in 5 (19.8%) nationally.
  • By the age of 10-11 years, 42.8% of children are overweight or obese, significantly higher than England (36.6%).
  • There were 17,000 children with special educational needs in 2022/23, significantly above the national average (21.5% versus 17.3%).
  • Liverpool’s HPV one-dose vaccination coverage for females aged 12-13 years in 2022/23 was 70.8% and significantly below the England rate of 71.3%.
  • 1,477 children were in care in 2022/23. The Liverpool rate of 156 per 10,000 is the 2nd highest in England, and significantly increasing.
  • Around 23 children are killed or seriously injured in road traffic accidents each year. Liverpool’s rate of children who were killed or seriously injured in road traffic accidents in 2020 - 22 was significantly worse than nationally (27.8 per 100,00 compared to 16.5 per 100,000).
  • In 2021, there were 141 teenage conceptions. Liverpool’s under 18 years conception rate of 20.1 conceptions per 1,000 females aged 15-17 years was significantly higher than the 13.1 per 1,000 reported nationally.
  • 1 in 12 (885) of our 16-17-year-olds were not in education, employment, or training in 2022/23, which is 1.6 times higher than England (8.5% compared to 5.2%).
  • Results from the national WAY survey reported that Liverpool 15-year-olds were significantly less likely to smoke, less likely to be regular drinkers of alcohol, and less likely to have been victims of bullying when compared to national averages.
  • However, Liverpool 15 years olds were also significantly less likely to eat 5 or more portions of fruit and vegetables a day, more likely to have higher sedentary levels, more likely to have tried cannabis, and to have a low life satisfaction score than reported nationally.

Liverpool City Region

Office for Health Improvement and Disparities profiles