Top 10 countries for living with children in 2021
159 countries around the world have been rated for their children’s living and development conditions. The ranking was compiled by Ceoworld magazine. The publication’s experts found out where the health and education systems are the best, where the environment is favourable and where it is safest to live with children.
Author •Alevtina Kalmuk
Author and editor of articles about investment citizenship and residency
Top 10 countries for living with children in 2021
The magazine’s experts rated countries according to 12 categories. For example, the level of security and the environment, how the education and health systems are organized, whether the country observes human rights, how much the government pays a family in case of maternity leave and child care.
The rankings were compiled from public sources, including the websites of United Nations institutions, reports of the World Economic Forum and World Bank, and articles in the news media. They also sought the views of 260,000 entrepreneurs and business leaders from around the world.
A country’s final score and ranking is a cumulative average across categories. To calculate it, the categories were divided into several parameters. For each, the country was given a score between 1 and 100. The scores were then added up and divided by the number of parameters taken into account.
The full country rankings are on the magazine’s website.
Top 10 best countries to raise children
Place
Country
Assessment
1
Sweden
99,81
2
Denmark
98,38
3
Norway
95,95
4
Netherlands
95,56
5
Canada
95,3
6
Finland
95,19
7
Switzerland
94,98
8
Iceland
94,73
9
Australia
94,71
10
United Kingdom
94,54
Sweden was ranked first for the second year in a row. The country received top marks for a healthy environment and respect for human rights. Sweden also has many educational and developmental facilities for children.
Denmark is recognised as the best country for childcare. Both women and men can take maternity leave on equal terms. The country pays high taxes, but most of it goes to social services, such as education and health care.
Norway is named the most environmentally friendly country.
The Netherlands was ranked in the top 10 for its commitment to family values: according to local media reports, Dutch parents spend more on childcare than any other European country.
Canada was ranked fifth as having one of the strictest child protection laws in the world.
Switzerland invests around 13% of GDP in health care — the highest in the EU. Prices for treatment are high but are covered by insurance premiums and fees. And Swiss universities rank highly in international rankings. We have described the leaders of Swiss educational institutions in the article "The best universities in countries with residence permit programmes by investment in 2020".
How to obtain a residence permit or citizenship by investment in ranking countries.
Nine countries ranked by Ceoworld magazine offer the opportunity to obtain a residence permit or citizenship by investment. We have presented their results in the form of a table.
Ranking of countries with investment programmes
Place
Country
Assessment
7
Switzerland
94,98
10
United Kingdom
94,54
12
Austria
94,21
20
Portugal
92,37
38
Greece
89,34
48
Turkey
88,19
64
Cyprus
84,6
67
Malta
84,22
121
Montenegro
55,19
Investors invest money in a country’s economy in order to obtain a residence permit and citizenship by investment programme. States offer one or more investment options. The programmes involve the investor’s family — the spouse and children up to the age of 18.
A residence permit in Switzerland for financially independent persons is granted without the right to work in the country. The investor enters into an agreement with the local authorities and pays a lump sum tax of £450,000. The residence permit is issued for a period of 6 months.
Residence permits in the UK the Russians are issued on a point system, the main criteria for evaluation — education, age, occupation and skill level. A person must score 70 points in order to receive status.
A Caribbean passport or Vanuatu passport is an alternative to a residence permit in the UK.
Caribbean citizenship is granted by investment from $100,000 in a government fund. The procedure takes 2 months or more.
Vanuatu citizenship is granted for a non-refundable fee of $130,000 or more to the National Development Fund. Passport is issued in 1 month or less.
The Austrian residence permit for financially independent persons is issued according to quotas.
A residence permit in Portugal is granted by an investment of 250,000 € or more in the restoration and preservation of cultural heritage. The processing time is from 8 months. The advantage of the programme is that the whole family can apply for Portuguese citizenship after 5 years.
A residence permit in Greece is granted by an investment of €250,000 or more. The investor invests money in real estate and gets the status after 3 months.
Turkish citizenship can be obtained by investment in real estate from €250,000. Registration of the passport takes from 3 months.
Permanent residence in Cyprus is issued for the purchase of real estate from 300 000 €. Registration of the card takes 2 months.
Maltese citizenship for exceptional services by direct investment from €690,000 can be obtained by foreigners who have passed a rigorous due diligence check. The investor first receives a residence permit and after a year or three years can apply for citizenship.
Montenegrin citizenship is issued for €350,000. It takes from 4 months to obtain a passport.
Immigrant Invest is a licensed agent for European and Caribbean citizenship and residency programmes by investment. If you want to move with your family to one of the best countries to raise your children, seek advice from expert investment programmes.