New Zealand is the seventh best place in the world to be born in terms of wealth, health and trust in public institutions, according to a new survey. Switzerland topped the survey, with Australia coming in second. Three of the four Scandinavian countries - Norway, Sweden and Denmark - were ranked in the top five, with Singapore, the Netherlands, Canada and Hong Kong rounding out the top ten. The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) measures which countries provide the best opportunities for health, safety and prosperity in the years following a child's birth. The unit's research links the results of life-satisfaction surveys - how happy people say they are - to objective indicators of quality of life across countries. One of the most important factors is wealth, but other factors such as crime, trust in public institutions and the health of family life have also proved to be key. Other indicators include factors such as geography, demography, social and cultural characteristics, and the state of the world economy. Small economies dominate the top 10 countries, while economic powers Germany and the USA tie at 16, with France and Britain further down the table at 26 and 27 respectively. Nigeria is ranked the worst place for a baby to be born in 2013.
Source: ONE News