Scandinavia is the best place in the world to raise children. The top three places on the annual U.S. News & World Report's list of "The Best Countries for Raising Kids" are Nordic nations. The list is compiled in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania. Denmark topped the list, Sweden was runner-up, and Norway edged out Canada for third place. This is not surprising as the three nations ranked highest on the list for 2019. A spokeswoman said these countries tended to have "generous" paternal and maternal leave, free preschool and good overall public education systems.
The report also included the "Best Countries" list. Researchers used "a global perceptions-based" approach in looking at data from the World Bank and the attitudes of 20,000 people in the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. They checked countries using 65 different metrics and "country attributes". These included income equality, quality public education and healthcare systems, human rights, gender equality, safety, family friendliness and levels of perceived happiness. Switzerland once again topped the "Best Countries" list. Canada and Japan were in the top three.