Kudos to Norway—the best place in the world to be a mother! A recent study conducted by the international organization Save the Children compared conditions for mothers in 160 nations, taking into consideration health care, nutrition, education and economic status.
As an American mom, the situation in Norway sounds pretty dreamy: a year’s maternity leave at full-pay, as many as 20 paid days off each year to care for a sick child, universal health care and high-quality child care that is heavily subsidized by the government. Is it any wonder that Norway came out on top? The rest of the Nordic countries fared well, too, with Iceland, Sweden and Denmark ranking third, fourth and fifth, respectively, and Finland in a respectable seventh place. The U.S. ranked twenty-eighth.
According to this study, it would seem that every day is Mothers Day in Norway.
Amy Boxrud is editor of Viking magazine. She lives with her family in Northfield, Minnesota, where she’s a member of Nordmarka 1-585. Amy is a Nordic folk music enthusiast, and when she’s not working or parenting, she can often be found making music with friends.