Scandinavia best for moms!

Norway, Iceland and Sweden at the top in a recent 'Save the Children' report on mothers' situation in the world. 

  • “A working mother has the ability to multitask and handle unforeseeable problems. ..they develop skills like leadership, responsibility and empathy.”

  • Less of a difference in incomes between the sexes makes Norway the best country in the world for moms; Sweden is number three on the same list. The list, which is a report from Save the Children, is founded on a survey of the living situations of mothers and children in 165 countries.

  • Madonna and Child with Cherubs by Giovanni Battista Salvi, called Il Sassoferrato, ca. 1650.

  • “The mothers report is an annual report we do that really looks at all sorts of different factors for moms from around the world," said Save the Children president and CEO Carolyn Miles, "and this year we looked at 165 countries—we look at where it is the best and the worst place to be a mom.” The rankings are based on conditions affecting both women and children. Save the Children looks at the status women have, what it is like to give birth in these countries and the survival rates of children.

  • Best place in the world to be a mom? Norway. Sweden isn’t too bad either, coming in 3rd place in a list based on research by Save the Children. Painting "The Belvedere Madonna" by Raphael.

  • About Norway topping the list, Miles said: “Norway really does well all across the board. Education rates for women and girls: Where Norway is number one, the number of skilled attendants at birth is a big indicator for how easy it is to be a mom. Virtually every woman in Norway has an attendant—a skilled attendant—at birth. Typically, Norwegian girls can expect to receive 18 years of formal education. So all across the board, Norway really comes out quite well.” And Sweden isn’t bad either, obviously. In Sweden a newborn baby girl can look forward to 17 years of education, while in a country like Niger in Africa, the equivalent is four years. The report states that the well-being of mothers is crucial in the development of the children, and the differences between the top ten countries are marginal.
    The top ten countries in the 13th annual survey, State of the World’s Mothers 2012 are:
    1. Norway
    2. Iceland
    3. Sweden
    4. New Zealand
    5. Denmark
    6. Finland
    7. Australia
    8. Belgium
    9. Ireland
    10. The Netherlands and England.
    For more information:
    State of the World's Mothers 2012