Children in the Netherlands are among the world's happiest. Here's what the parents do differently

Children in the Netherlands are among the happiest in the world, research has suggested, and experts say that there could be a number of reasons why this is the case.

A UNICEF report published last year found that children in the Netherlands had the highest sense of wellbeing. The United Nations children's agency analyzed data across 41 high-income countries, ranking the countries according to how they scored on children's mental wellbeing, physical health, and the development of both academic and social skills.

The Netherlands was found to rank highest in the league table of the three wellbeing outcomes, followed respectively by Denmark and Norway.

Chile, Bulgaria and the U.S. were at the bottom of the table.

Separately, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's 2020 Better Life index showed that the Netherlands scored above average across a number of areas, including earnings, education, housing and health status.

Anita Cleare, author of "The Working Parent's Survival Guide," told CNBC via telephone that it was important to understand the role of socio-economic factors in influencing children's happiness. She explained that if a child has certain needs met, which is more likely in an affluent country, there's a greater chance of achieving happiness.

Cleare said an assertive parenting style, which sets "clear boundaries with lots of love and warmth … has consistently been shown to correlate with positive outcomes for children."

In addition, Cleare said shame could be really damaging to children, and that the Dutch have a reputation for being open to talking about topics that might be considered more uncomfortable to discuss in other countries.

The UNICEF report also highlighted that not all children living in rich countries have a good childhood.

"Even countries with good social, economic and environmental conditions are a long way from meeting the targets set in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," UNICEF said in the report.

In order to combat these shortcomings, UNICEF urged high-income countries to consult children on how their life could be improved and ensure that policies to boost their wellbeing are integrated. UNICEF also recommended that countries accelerate efforts to meet Sustainable Development Goals, like reducing poverty and improving access to childcare.