Having a child is probably the biggest desicion we make as adults, since with that beautiful newborn creature, comes hefty responsibilities of providing for her/him both financially and emotionally.

Countries have different rules when it comes to having a kid and raising a kid, that’s why we brought to you the list of 20 best countries in the world to raise kids, right now.

The more the governments provide, the more tax they charge, but most people believe it’s worth it as long as the tax money is spent for people’s good.

Generally speaking, the Scandinavian countries provide the best help when it comes to taking care of the newborn child and parents, followed by Canada and Netherlands.

It’s surprising that the United States couldn’t even make it to top 10, and the United Kingdom could only become 11th, due to the uncertainty of what would happen after Brexit!

1- Denmark

Denmark made it to the top of the list, becoming the best country in the world to raise kids in 2020.

The reason behind it is that Denmark has a generous plan where both parents can take 52 weeks off after the birth, plus the mother is entitled to 4 weeks off before the due date!

2- Sweden

Sweden’s position dropped from Number 1 in 2019, to 2 in 2020. According to sweden.se, Sweden’s official website, parents have the right to take off 480 days, 90 days reserved for each parent which is not transferable to the other parent.

3- Norway

Just like Denmark and Sweden, Norway offers a generous parental leave. Mothers in Norway can take either 46 weeks of full payment or 56 weeks with 80% of the payment. The other parent has the right to take up to 10 weeks off, depending on the mother’s salary.

4- Canada

In Canada, the employees who are covered by Canada Labour Code are entitled to up to 17 weeks of maternity leave. If both parents care for a newborn or newly adopted child they can take a combined period of parental leave of 63 weeks. Parents are eligible for employment insurance if they fulfill the requirements.

5- Netherlands

According to the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, the mother of the child can take 4 to 6 weeks off before the due date and 10 weeks after giving birth. If the children are twins, the mother is entitled to 20 weeks off. The other parent can also take one week off, starting from the due date.

6- Finland
7- Switzerland
8- New Zealand
9- Australia
10- Austria
11- United Kingdom
12- Luxembourg
13- Germany
14- France
15- Spain
16- Italy
17- Portugal
18- United States
19- Japan
20- Poland

For visiting the full list, click here.