Scandinavia has ranked as best place in world to raise children. The Nordic region holds top three places on the U.S. News & World Report's list of "The Best Countries for Raising Kids" in 2020. The list has been compiled annually since 2016 in collaboration with University of Pennsylvania. Denmark topped list, with Sweden close runner-up, and neighbour Norway edging out Canada for third place. The 2020 listings will come as little surprise as three nations also ranked highest on the list for 2019. spokeswoman explained: "These countries tend to have generous paternal leave and maternal leave, offer free preschool and have good overall public education systems."
listing was released as part of annual "Best Countries" list. This survey adopted " global perceptions-based" approach in examining data and attitudes. It used research from World Bank, as well as opinions of 20,000 people in the Americas, Asia, Europe, Middle East and Africa. Researchers tested countries against 65 different metrics, or what researchers called "country attributes". These included income equality, well-developed public education and healthcare systems, human rights, gender equality, safety, family friendliness and levels of perceived happiness. Switzerland once again topped "Best Countries" list, followed by Canada and Japan.
