The index, which assesses mothers’ well-being using indicators of mental health, under-five mortality rates, levels of women’s education, income and political status, ranks the Nordic countries - Finland, Norway and Iceland in the top five, while the Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia take the bottom spots.
According to the statistics, the UK now has a higher death rate for the under-fives than 21 other European counties, including those with lower GDPs such as Cyprus, Portugal and Czech Republic. In 2011, the under-five mortality rate in the UK was 5.2 per 1,000 live births, whereas in Cyprus it was 3.1 and Portugal 3.4.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here