Rising violence, drug use and mental health problems among young people in England mean society is in danger of “failing a generation”, children’s doctors have said.

English teenagers are increasingly likely to be injured in youth violence and the UK is lagging behind other European countries on measures including infant mortality, according to UK-wide research into the state of child health by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.

The numbers of children in poverty, under child protection plans and being “looked after” have increased since its 2017 report, and progress on mental health among five- to 15-year-olds has stalled or reversed.

“It’s not a pretty sight,” said the president of the college, Prof Russell Viner. “On many vital measures we risk lagging behind other European countries. We’re in danger of failing a generation if we don’t turn this situation around. The government has made welcome commitments on childhood obesity and young people’s mental health but we need to see delivery in these and other areas.”

Separate figures from Childline revealed that in 2018-19 653 children under 11 contacted its freephone number with suicidal thoughts and feelings, an increase of 87% since 2015-16. Across all age groups it delivered 24,447 counselling sessions to young people overwhelmed by a sense of despair, an increase of a quarter over three years.

Esther Rantzen, Childline’s founder, said that when she launched the charity in 1986 most calls related to pain caused by someone else, including abuse, bullying or neglect.

“Over the last 10 years we have seen a rise in the number of children describing their feelings of such intense unhappiness that they tell Childline they want to end their own lives,” she said. “It is deeply disturbing that we have reached a point where, on average, 67 children a day are receiving help for suicidal thoughts and feelings.”

The royal college study claims to be the largest ever compilation of data on the health of babies, children and young people in the UK. It found that the health of children who live in deprived areas is largely worse than those in more prosperous places and that inequalities have widened since 2017. More children are undertaking unpaid care work, with the biggest increase in Scotland where the rate has almost doubled since 2017.

The college said the slide in conditions was rarely seen in developed countries and it blamed deep cuts to local authority budgets that are used to finance public health initiatives and community services.

The NSPCC said it was “scandalous that progress in children’s health is not improving and shameful that the most disadvantaged are seeing the biggest retreat”.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We want every child to have the best start in life, regardless of their background, and tackling health inequalities is a priority for the government.

“Early intervention is key and we are taking urgent steps to improve child health. We have launched the most ambitious plan in the world to cut childhood obesity by half by 2030, we are transforming children’s mental health to treat to give 70,000 more children access to services by next year and we are improving maternity services.”

Stabbings and injuries with sharp objects have risen in England among 15- to 19-year-olds since 2014, the study found. The likelihood of such an injury was unchanged in Wales and falling in Scotland and Northern Ireland. By contrast, the likelihood of a 17- to 19-year-old being harmed in a road traffic accident is falling across England, Wales and Scotland.

The figures reflect the rise in serious knife crime across England, with 47,000 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument recorded in England and Wales in 2018-19, the highest number since 2011. The danger from knives is increasing only in England and there have been decreases in incidents in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

The report includes some signs of hope: the treatment of chronic medical conditions including asthma, diabetes and epilepsy is improving. Children in England, Wales and Scotland have healthier teeth, and smoking and consumption of alcohol is falling among children in England and Scotland, while teen pregnancies are falling across all four home nations.

However, on infant mortality (children under one) the UK is fifth from bottom among 27 European countries. Among its recommendations to tackle the problem, the college said every child should receive a minimum of five mandatory contacts from a health visitor, universal midwifery visiting services should be offered for new mothers and the government should require the fortification of flour with folic acid.

“The harsh reality is that in terms of health and wellbeing, children born in the UK are often worse off than those born in other comparably wealthy countries,” said Dr Ronny Cheung, a clinical lead for the RCPCH and a co-author of the State of Child Heath 2020 report.

“This is especially true if the child is from a less well-off background. Throughout the world, the number of babies dying in their first year has been steadily falling for decades, as incomes rise and mothers and children receive better healthcare. Yet UK infant mortality rates have stalled, and in England they actually got worse between 2016 and 2017. For a high-income nation such as ours, that should be a major wakeup call.”

The college called for government investment to “minimise social risk factors, early identification and intervention in those at risk, and a coordinated approach across public and social services including health, policing, social care and youth services.”

It said this approach had proven successful in Scotland, where youth violence in 20- to 24-year-olds has decreased following the introduction of a violence reduction unit in 2005.