On Motherhood

Just ahead of Mother's Day comes a new report ranking the best and worst countries to be a mother. The best? Sweden. The worst? Niger.

Interestingly, the U.S.—the wealthiest nation—ranks 26th on the list of 140 countries surveyed by the not-for-profit Save the Children.

So what constitutes a good place for mothering?
The report looks at a range of 13 factors that mainly encompass access to good health services, statistics on education enrollment for girls and boys, and the mother's education and income. It also takes into account access to safe water.

On those points, Sweden ranks extremely high. According to the report, the average Swedish woman has about 17 years of education and a long life expectancy of 83 years. The bulk of Sweden's healthcare system is largely publicly funded and the country is known for its extensive welfare benefits which likely contributes to good access to child care. Of course with those benefits come high taxes, though they were recently cut. You may have heard of references to "the Swedish model," which has long been held up as a successful example of social democracy.

In contrast, the average woman in Niger has just three years of education, approximately seven children, and is expected to live only to age 45. A whopping 63% of the population lives below the poverty line, and the infant mortality rate is 117 deaths per 1000 births--it's 6/1000 in the United States (this is up one point from last year—See previous WeeklyDIVA on infant mortality rates.)

And it's a much different story in the United States. On average women have 16 years of education, are more likely to graduate from college than men, and the infant mortality rate is low. Having said that, 46 million Americans are uninsured, which may be one reason the U.S. falls lower on the list.

The big picture
Obviously most mothers want what is best for their children. What the report points out is that a mother’s ability to give her children then best is highly correlated with her own opportunity and advantages where she lives. And sadly, no amount of love can change that.