Kimimasa Mayama / EPA
For those thinking about moving, the ‘rankings’ of the countries with the best quality of life can be useful. But with kids in tow, there are more factors to consider than income or financial stability.
Based on factors such as health, the quality of education or maternity/parenting policies, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) produces newsletters on child well-being.
It is important to note that these ‘rankings’ only look at the richest countries in the world – and not all data may be of equal interest to households. But their findings help paint a illuminating picture of what it’s really like to raise children in different countries around the world.
Japan
In Unicef’s 2020 review of children’s well-being, Japan ranked 1st in Physical health, which assesses infant mortality and obesity. In the 2022 analysis, the Asian country ranked 2nd in “the world around children” – a category that includes aspects such as green urban areas and traffic safety.
Japan also has the lowest rate of childhood obesity, low mortality, and extremely low levels of air or water pollution. It is also one of the safest countries for families. The overall homicide rate is the lowest of any country analyzed by UNICEF: 0.2 per 100,000 population, which is a fraction of that of the United States (5.3), Canada (1.8) and Australia (0.8).
The factor security it also has a big impact on the freedom children can enjoy, according to Mami McCagg, originally from Tokyo but currently living in London. “Children go to school on their own from the age of six. They take the bus or the train if they can’t walk”, she said.
“Even in central Tokyo, children walk around and go to school by themselves. It is completely normal because it is in fact safe. No one is too worried about their kids because we don’t have to be,” she said.
In addition to top scores in health and safety, Japan also has one of the best education systems in the world, ranking 12th out of 76 countries and regions, according to assessments by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), in which Unicef based its data.
The country has a generous paid parental leaveby offering about 12 months for each working parent.
But interestingly, despite the many benefits Japan has to offer families, local residents themselves can seem critical, warned Mami McCagg.
Estonia
Although Estonia is not at the top of Unicef’s overall ranking, it does rank high in several respects. Children are exposed to less air and noise pollution and less pesticides than in any other rich country.
The country has more urban green spaces than many other nations, including the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom, and children are more likely to say they like their neighborhood play spaces.
Estonia has the 2nd lowest rate of babies born underweight, which is considered a good indicator of the quality of antenatal care.
One of the biggest attractions is the educational system: Children have better math, science and literacy skills than in any other country outside Asia. Digital skills are also emphasized.
“Already in kindergarten, there are classes on robotics, smart ‘tablets’ and so on, all used as part of learning,” said Anne-Mai Meesak, project manager at the Estonian education and youth council.
A recent OECD report showed that a five-year-old Estonian child is, on average, better at several socio-emotional skills, including cooperating with other children and identifying emotions. They are also above the OECD average in mental flexibility, working memory and impulse inhibition.
Estonia has one of the most generous paternity policies in the world, with 100 days of maternity leave, followed by 475 days of parental leave paid, to be divided until the child turns three years old. For 60 days, both parents can stay at home and are paid as usual.
Each parent also receives 10 working days per year of paid parental leave for each child under 14. This license is available to both permanent and temporary residents, including foreigners.
Spain
Spain obtained the highest ranking in the ‘ranking’ of Unicef in relation to environment around childrenwith especially low levels of childhood morbidity due to air or water pollution.
And despite offering lower benefits in terms of social, educational and health services, children in Spain enjoy remarkably high well-being: the country ranks 3rd in child mental well-being and 4th in basic academic and social skills.
It is on a par with the Netherlands in terms of the number of children they say to make friends easily (81%), while the suicide rate among teenagers is one of the lowest in rich countries.
That doesn’t surprise Lori Zaino, who moved to Madrid from Chicago 15 years ago. A mother of one young child, she said one of the most refreshing aspects of life in Spain is how child-friendly the culture is.
“Here it is socially acceptable to take your child everywhere – restaurants, bars… It is totally normal to see a family with a small child walking around at midnight”, he said.
And then there’s parental leave: both moms and dads get 16 weeks of paid leave with full salary (‘freelancers’ are also eligible). After that period, the mother can take unpaid leave for up to three years or reduce her workload.
These options are available to any registered resident of Spain’s social security system who has made contributions for at least 180 days in the last seven years.
As in Portugal, the lack of child care in Spain is a problem – 33% of parents say they wish they had more options, the highest percentage of any wealthy country.
Finland
Finland, ranked 5th overall in Unicef’s most recent bulletin, scored high in two of the three categories – number 1 for ‘children’s world’ and number 2 for ‘world around children’.
It is one of the best performing countries in terms of literacy and numeracy skills, and parents tend to have a high opinion of the relationship with staff at their children’s school.
A mortality rate of children aged 5 to 14 years of the lowest in the world.
The country also offers generous parental leave, including eight weeks of paid maternity leave, another 14 months of paid parental leave to be split between the parents – and additional childcare leave that can be applied until the child turns three.
Hadley Dean, a British father of five who has lived with his family in Poland, the Czech Republic and Finland, indicated that he loves living there.
One benefit is the amount of parks and forests, even in the capital. “The difference in Helsinki, or in Finland, is that the parks are really very wild, very natural. They’re like a natural forest running right into the center of the city,” said Dean.
“There is a known link between being in nature and not suffering from anxiety and depression, so this is really positive.” What about Finland’s cold, dark winters? That’s a price worth paying, says Dean, adding, “Summers are absolutely amazing because there are 22 hours of sunlight.”
Netherlands
The Netherlands tops Unicef’s overall list for the well-being of children. The country does especially well in terms of child mental health (it’s number 1) and skills (requirement in which it occupies the 3rd place).
Nine in 10 15-year-olds say they are highly satisfied with life, the highest proportion of any country Unicef has looked at, and eight in 10 say they make friends easily.
Part of it is cultural, explained Olga Mecking, a Polish mother of three who has lived in the Netherlands for 13 years and who is the author of Niksen: Embracing the Dutch Art of Doing Nothing. Dutch of Do Nothing”, in free translation).
“There is a discourse about how Americans try to teach everyone to be exceptional. Here, there’s a saying: ‘Just be normal, that’s crazy enough’”, said the writer. A mentality that, in her opinion, contributes to a childhood with less pressure.
There is also a strong emphasis on socializing, with groups, clubs and community activities quite frequent. But if Dutch families and children are happy, this is also due to structural factors.
The family leave policy is an example of this. This includes at least 16 weeks of fully paid and compulsory maternity leave – and up to six weeks of paid paternity leave, plus unpaid parental leave that can be taken until the child turns eight. And it’s available to anyone legally living and working in the Netherlands.
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