Mothers tend to always want what is best for their children, which includes the best conditions where this child can grow up and become a productive person in society. Well, one thing is certain; no mother would want to grow her child in Somalia under the current system in the country.
Somalia is home to a third of global child death due to the country being in constant conflict. This makes Somalia the worst place to grow a child and nothing seems to be changing anytime soon. The information came from an annual snapshot from aid agency Save the Children.
In the 178-country list [pdf], the top 10 worst places to grow a child all have latest history of armed conflicts and face serious challenges going forward. Many of these challenges could take decades to fix, but it is likely the biggest challenge in many of these countries is the lack of proper avenues for education.
On the matter of the top 10 best countries to raise a child, Finland takes the top spot, followed by Norway, Sweden, Iceland, and Netherlands. We understand that Australia is the only non-European country to feature in the top 10, sitting at a joint number 9 with Belgium.
Britain and the United States place on the list is quite disappointing. Britain sits at the number 23 spot while the U.S. drops to number 30.
The report takes a number of factors into consideration, which includes health, education, economic and political status of all mothers in these countries, along with health and nutrition where the children are concerned.
In Somalia, one in 16 women dies of maternal abuse each year, while, in Finland, only one in 12,000 dies. This is a big difference between the lowest ranked Somalia and the top ranked Finland.
Furthermore, 15 percent of all children in Somalia fail to survive until they're 5 years old, compared to the 0.3 percent for Finland.
These findings are quite striking when you consider these things are still happening in the 21st century. Countries at the bottom of the list need improvement, but it can only work if the next generation is well educated, or the cycle of death and despair will only continue.
Top Five Countries
1. Finland
2. Norway
3. Sweden
4. Iceland
5. Netherlands
Bottom Five Countries
174. Guinea-Bissau
175 (tied) Niger
175 (tied) Mali
177. Democratic Republic of Congo
178. Somalia
