A new report from UNICEF shows 30% of Irish children suffer from material deprivation, and lack essential items.

The United Nations body says the gap between rich and poor in wealthy nations is at its highest level for three decades.

A league table of inequality in child well-being in rich countries ranks 41 EU and OECD countries, according to how far children at the bottom fall below their peers in the middle.

Ireland is placed 7th out of these countries across all dimensions of inequality. The report shows that one-third of all Irish children live in materially deprived households.

Source: UNICEF Ireland

Households are deprived if they cannot afford at least three items from a list of essential items, as defined by the EU.

Those items are housing, heating, utility bills, a protein meal every second day; the ability to face unexpected expenses; a holiday, a phone, a TV, a washing machine or a car.

Denmark is the country with the lowest inequality among children, while Israel came last.

In 19 out of 41 countries covered by the data, more than 10% of children live in households with less than half the average income.

In 2013, the child poverty rate was 6.9%, ranking Ireland 10th among the survey countries - a rate higher than Denmark or Norway, but lower than the UK.

Ireland currently has the 4th worst income inequality in the EU ranked just below the UK, Belgium and Bulgaria - with a gap of 76.3%.

Source: UNICEF Ireland

UNICEF says it questions the success of economic growth when so many children are deprived, and families must rely on social welfare to make ends meet.

Executive director of UNICEF Ireland, Peter Power, told Newstalk Breakfast things are getting worse.