Where Do the Happiest Moms on Earth Live?
On Mother’s Day, let us step back and focus on the well-being of moms, rather than that their kids and their families. According to the 2011 World Mothers Index by the NGO SAVE The Children, the Top Best Places to be a Mom are: 
- Norway
- Australia
- Iceland
- Sweden
- Denmark
- New Zealand
- Finland
- Belgium
- The Netherlands
- France
The United States ranked no. 31, Canada no. 30, and the UK no. 13. One of the main reasons why the US ranked lower than its economic counterparts is having the highest lifetime risk of maternal mortality among the industrialized countries!
What makes Norway home to the happiest moms in the world?
- Highest male:female income ratio
- Highest contraceptive prevalence rate
- Lowest under-5 mortality rates
- Very generous maternity leave policies
According to the mother’s index, the Worst Places rated to be a Mom are:
- Afghanistan
- Niger
- Guinea-Bissau
- Yemen
- Chad
- DR Congo
- Eritrea
- Mali
- Sudan
- Central African Republic
It is clear moms in European countries tend to be happiest, whereas those African countries the least happy. Although this may have something to do with economics, it is not all.
Among working moms, Forbes reports on the top 10 happiest job for moms where they can easily balance work and family. These are jobs in the following sector:
- Pharmaceutical
- Biotech
- Clerical/Admin
- Accounting
- Telecommunications
- Human Resources
- Strategy/Planning
- Business Development
- Quality Control/Assurance
- Information technology
I must say I am lucky and I feel happy. I live in a country (Switzerland) ranked 14th place on the Mother’s Index and I work in the pharmaceutical industry on a part time, flexitime basis. I have a healthy family and I still have time to blog for Babies Online. I am indeed lucky. Happy Mother’s Day.
Comment on this blog...