The Best and Worst Places to be a Mother
The seventh annual Mothers’ Index helps document conditions for mothers and children in 125 countries – 26 developed nations and 99 in the developing world – and shows where mothers fare best and where they face the greatest hardships. All countries for which sufficient data were available are included in the Index. Below are the countries that ranked highest and lowest on the list.
| Top Ten | Bottom Ten | ||
| Rank | Country | Rank | Country |
| 1 2 2 4 4 4 7 8 9 10 10 |
Sweden Denmark Finland Austria Germany Norway Australia Netherlands Canada United Kingdom* United States* |
115 115 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 |
Congo, Democratic Republic of the Liberia Central African Republic Yemen Ethiopia Sierra Leone Guinea-Bissau Chad Mali Burkina Faso Niger |
| *11 countries shown due to ties | |||
Why should Save the Children be so concerned with mothers? Because close to 75 years of field experience has taught us that the quality of children’s lives depends on the health, security and well-being of their mothers.
In short, providing mothers with access to education, economic opportunities and maternal and child health care, including family planning, gives mothers and their children the best chance to survive and thrive.
For an explanation of the ranking system and to see a full listing, download State of the World's Mothers 2006 report.
Learn more about the State of the World's Mothers 2006 report
