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State of the World's Mothers, 2011

Related Links The Full Report: State of the World's Mothers (PDF) Mothers in the Labor Force Selected Characteristics of Births by Race of Mother Young Adults Living at Home Adoption Trends Number, Rate, and Percent of Births to Unmarried Women, and Birth Rate for Married Women Live Births by Age and Race of Mother

Save the Children's 12th annual Mothers’ Index helps document conditions for mothers and children in 164 countries—43 developed nations and 117 in the developing world—and shows where mothers fare best and where they face the greatest hardships. The Mothers' Index relies on information published by governments, research institutions, and international agencies. The 10 bottom-ranked countries in this year's Mothers’ Index are reverse images of the top 10, performing poorly on all indicators. Conditions for mothers and their children in these countries are devastating. The United States places 31st this year, down from 28th in 2010.

The six indicators of women's well-being are:

• Lifetime risk of maternal mortality
• Percent of women using modern contraception
• Percent of births attended by skilled personnel
• Percent of pregnant women with anemia
• Adult female literacy rate
• Participation of women in national government

The four indicators of children's well-being are:

• Infant mortality rate
• Gross primary enrollment ratio
• Percent of population with access to safe water
• Percent of children under age 5 suffering from moderate or severe nutritional wasting

European countries, as well as New Zealand and Australia, sweep the top positions, while countries in sub-Saharan Africa dominate the lowest tier. While industrialized countries cluster tightly at the top of the Index—with the majority of these countries performing well on all indicators—the highest-ranking countries attain very high scores for mother's and children's health and educational status.

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