It’s a common question many expecting parents ask – where are the best places in the world for a baby to be born? The country a baby is born in can have significant impacts on their quality of life and opportunities. Factors like healthcare, education, economic stability, and women’s rights all vary greatly between different nations and play a role in childhood development.
Main Factors That Determine Best Countries For Newborns
When evaluating which countries provide the best quality of life for newborns, some of the key factors to consider include:
- Healthcare – Access to quality prenatal and postnatal medical care impacts infant and maternal mortality rates.
- Education – Early childhood education and care set the stage for future learning and development.
- Economic Stability – Steady growth and employment provide the resources needed to support children.
- Women’s Rights – Gender equality allows mothers more opportunities to provide for their families.
- Safety & Security – Low crime rates and limited conflict create a safe environment for children.
- Environment – Clean air, water, and food sources ensure good health.
Combining data on these types of factors allows us to compare and rank which nations provide the best environment for their youngest citizens.
Worldwide Rankings of Best Countries For Babies
Several organizations produce annual rankings evaluating which countries are the best places to raise children. These take into account health, safety, education, economic, and other key metrics.
Save the Children’s State of the World’s Mothers Report
Save the Children’s State of the World’s Mothers report ranks the best and worst countries for mothers and children each year. The 2022 rankings identified the top 10 countries for mothers and babies as:
- Norway
- Finland
- Iceland
- Denmark
- Sweden
- New Zealand
- Slovenia
- Switzerland
- Australia
- Netherlands
The report looked at key data related to children’s health, education, economic opportunities, and political status of women to determine the rankings.
UNICEF’s Building the Future Report
UNICEF’s Building the Future report examines which of the world’s richest countries do the most to ensure their children can lead healthy, educated lives. Their 2020 rankings of 41 OECD and EU countries put the top 10 as:
- Denmark
- Sweden
- Norway
- Portugal
- Finland
- Iceland
- Germany
- Estonia
- Republic of Korea
- Slovenia
The report looked at key childhood indicators like life satisfaction, mental well-being, physical health, academic & social skills, and sustainability to determine the places most fit for children.
US News & World Report’s Best Countries for Raising Kids
US News & World Report’s annual Best Countries rankings include an evaluation of which countries are best for raising children. Their 2022-2023 list identified the top 10 countries for kids as:
- Sweden
- Denmark
- Norway
- Canada
- Switzerland
- Netherlands
- Finland
- New Zealand
- Austria
- Australia
The kids subranking drew on data related to family friendly culture, gender equality, well-developed public education system, health care quality, and overall quality of life.
Key Factors and Conditions in the Top Ranked Countries
While the exact order differs slightly, we consistently see the same handful of countries ranking near the top across these reports – specifically Nordic nations like Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland. These countries share some key traits that make them ideal for newborns and young children:
- Robust Healthcare Systems – Generous parental leave, free or affordable prenatal and pediatric care minimize health concerns.
- Low Infant & Maternal Mortality – Modern medical practices and accessible care lead to very low mortality rates.
- High Levels of Gender Equality – Women have opportunities for education, employment, and involvement in government.
- Quality Early Childhood Education – Public childcare and preschool programs get kids off to a good start.
- Economic Prosperity – Productivity, employment, and social welfare programs provide children with resources and stability.
- Affordable Higher Education – Free or low-cost college allows parents to save for other needs.
- Clean Environments – Strict environmental policies provide clean air, water, food and more.
- Low Violent Crime Rates – Very low rates of homicides, gun violence and crime create safety.
By excelling across all these areas, these Nordic nations provide an environment where every child – regardless of circumstances of birth – has the opportunity for health, education, and success.
Worst Countries for Babies
While the Nordic countries consistently rank at the top, which nations consistently rank near the bottom when it comes to providing for infants and children? Here are some of the lowest ranked countries across reports:
- Nigeria
- Somalia
- Central African Republic
- Mali
- South Sudan
- Niger
- Chad
- Ivory Coast
- Guinea
- Pakistan
These low-income developing nations face major challenges like high infant and maternal mortality, prevalence of infectious diseases, poor access to medical care, armed conflicts, low literacy rates, gender inequality, malnutrition, and poor sanitation systems. These conditions make raising healthy, educated children very difficult.
Key Factors in the Lowest Ranked Countries
While the poorest African and Asian nations consistently rank among the worst places for newborns, there are some common denominators that contribute to their low standings:
- High Rates of Infant & Maternal Mortality – Prevalence of disease, malnutrition and poor healthcare lead to high death rates for babies and mothers.
- Low Levels of Prenatal Care – Lack of access to doctors and resources mean few women get essential check-ups during pregnancy.
- Widespread Malnutrition – Hunger and lack of essential nutrients harm children’s development.
- Few Resources for Early Childhood Education – Limited public programs for early learning and literacy.
- Teenage Pregnancies – Young maternal age leads to complications and poverty.
- Low Immunization Rates – Preventable diseases still kill many children under 5 due to lack of vaccines.
- Political Instability and Violence – Wars, terrorism and crime create dangerous conditions.
- Limited Women’s Rights – Lack of access to education, jobs and equality creates hardship.
These interlocking challenges synergistically reinforce each other and perpetuate cycles of poverty, mortality, and lack of education that are difficult to break across generations.
Best Places for Babies in the United States
The United States overall still falls behind the highest ranked Nordic nations in caring for its youngest citizens. However, some states provide better opportunities for infants and children than others. State-by-state factors like quality of healthcare, education, economic opportunities, demographics, social support policies and more create variances.
| State | Key Factors Helping Babies & Families |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts | Very low infant mortality rate, high insured rate, top hospitals, high per capita income, top K-12 schools, generous family leave policies |
| New Jersey | Low infant mortality, pediatric specialty care, higher immunization compliance, top pre-K programs |
| Connecticut | Low rates of infant mortality, poverty and uninsured, high per capita income, high quality healthcare and early education programs |
| North Dakota | Low baby mortality, low teen pregnancy rate, high insured rate, lower poverty, affordable child care options relative to income |
| Vermont | Lower baby mortality and poverty rate, near universal insured rate, generous parental leave policies |
Based on health outcomes, childhood poverty levels, and available programs and resources, these states offer some of the better environments for newborns in the country.
Worst US States for Newborns
Which US states fared the worst for their babies and young children? The bottom ranking states faced higher challenges like infant mortality, uninsured rates, teen pregnancy, childhood poverty, and unemployment:
| State | Factors Hurting Babies & Families |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Higher rates of infant mortality, low birth weight, teen pregnancy, and childhood poverty |
| Louisiana | High levels of baby mortality, preterm births, uninsured and poverty |
| South Dakota | Elevated infant mortality and childhood poverty, limited early education programs |
| Oklahoma | Higher infant and child mortality, teen pregnancy, uninsured, lower immunization compliance |
| Tennessee | High infant mortality, frequent preterm births, below average medical care access and affordability |
These states faced economic, healthcare access, education, and other social challenges that negatively impacted childhood outcomes vs. states higher in the rankings.
Conclusion
A baby’s country of birth can have a profound influence on their lifetime opportunities. The places that consistently rank highest for supporting mothers, newborns and young children feature generously funded public programs and policies supporting healthcare, education, gender equality, environments and general welfare for all. By contrast, nations offering little support for impoverished or disadvantaged families see far worse childhood outcomes. Even within countries, disparities between regions or economic classes can mean huge differences. While no society is perfect, the Nordic countries stand out globally for providing the foundations to give every child a healthy start in life, regardless of circumstance.