Scandinavia is the best place to raise children. The top three places on an annual list of the best countries to raise kids are Nordic nations. The list is from the U.S. News & World Report and University of Pennsylvania. Denmark topped the list, Sweden was runner-up, and Norway edged out Canada for third place. The three nations topped the list in 2019. They all have "generous" paternity and maternity leave, free preschool and good education.
The report included the "Best Countries" list. Researchers used "a global perceptions-based" approach to look at data from the World Bank and the attitudes of 20,000 people on four continents. They used 65 different metrics to measure income and gender equality, public education, healthcare, human rights, safety, family friendliness and levels of perceived happiness. Switzerland once again topped this list. Canada was second; Japan was third.