Best and Worst Places to Be a Mother (Infographic)

A study by Save the Children finds that Norway tops the list of best places to be a mother in 2012.
A study by Save the Children finds that Norway tops the list of best places to be a mother in 2012. (Image credit: Ross Toro, LiveScience Contributor)

Where's the best place in the world to be a mom? According to the 13th annual Mothers Report by Save the Children,  Norway ranks highest across the globe for health, education, economic conditions and well-being of moms and their kids. Iceland comes in second, and Sweden rounds out the top three. The worst-ranked nation was Niger, followed by Afghanistan and Yemen.

The United States ranked 25th in the world. America scores relatively low among developed nations for women's political status, for preschool enrollment and for maternal employment benefits. The risk of dying during childbirth in the U.S. is 1 in 2,100, higher than any other industrialized nation. 

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Ross Toro
Infographics Artist
Ross Toro is a contributing infographic artist for Live Science. He specializes in explanatory graphics that deal with science topics. Ross is a former art director of the Los Angeles Times, Associated Press and United Press International. He teaches Filipino martial arts when not dabbling in cartoons and animation.