The 10 best countries to be a mother
- Save the Children released a State of the World's Mothers report ranking the best countries to be a mother.
- The countries were ranked based on maternal health, children's well-being, economic and educational status, and the participation of women in government.
- The countries also offer generous amounts of paid maternity leave.
- Norway, Finland, and Iceland were the top three best countries for mothers.
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The safety of mothers while giving birth, how much time they have to recover, and the well-being of children after they're born largely depend on where a woman resides in the world.
Save the Children, a nonprofit dedicated to improving children's lives worldwide, released a State of the World's Mothers report ranking the best countries to be a mother based on maternal health, children's well-being, the country's overall economic and educational status, and the participation of women in the government.
We used Save the Children's ranking of the best countries to be a mother, but we also looked at each country's maternity leave policies according to a report by the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The countries all offer new mothers considerable and paid maternity leave.
Here are the 10 best countries to be a mother, featuring maternal health and leave, specifically.
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10. Belgium
Belgium is a relatively safe place to give birth with a lifetime risk of maternal death of one in 8,700 births. Belgium also offers 15 weeks of paid maternity leave at a rate of 64.1% of the woman's salary, which equates to 9.6 weeks of full-time pay.
9. Australia
The average cost of giving birth in Australia is around $5,312 for a standard delivery, and the lifetime risk of maternal death is one in 9,000 births. Australia's maternity leave is 18 weeks at the average pay rate of 42% of the woman's salary, coming out to 7.5 weeks of full-time pay.
8. Germany
The cost of giving birth in Germany is relatively low, around $2,500. The lifetime risk of maternal death is one in 11,000. German mothers are also guaranteed 14 weeks of maternity leave with their full-time salary.
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