United States ranks second to last for raising a family: index
The ‘Raising a Family Index’ is comprised of 30 critical statistics
By Alexandra Deabler | Fox News
Parents might be surprised to hear this.
The United States has been ranked among the worst countries in several categories that make up the Raising a Family Index created by research travel site Asher & Lyric, which based its study on six criteria.
The website, which was started by couple Asher Fergusson and Lyric Benson-Fergusson, researched “35 OECD countries (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) to see which are the best for raising a family in 2020,” the infographic shares.
The highest-rated nations were all in Europe – Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland, which each getting an A+ final index score. (iStock)
'The “definitive ‘Raising a Family Index’ is comprised of 30 critical statistics from trusted international sources.” Each country is given a score based on these statistics across six categories: safety, happiness, cost, health, education and time. Within those categories, each is broken down into five subcategories to come up with a final grade.
Overall, the United States was the second-worst wealthy nation to raise a family in 2020, failing specifically in safety, cost and time, the website’s data concludes. It was just above Mexico, which was in last place at 35.
“The first time I looked at the data, I was in disbelief,” said co-founder Lyric Benson-Fergusson of the findings to the New York Post.
Where the U.S. faltered, according to the stats, were in criteria such as maternity and paternity leave, vacation days, out-of-pocket health spending, child care costs, homicide and school shootings – the United States was the highest in school shootings, significantly, compared with every other country, with 288 incidents from 2009-2018. The top five countries had zero.
The highest-rated nations were all in Europe – Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland – with each getting an A+ final index score.
The United States did manage to pull a C+ in happiness and education. The happiness score was determined by human freedom index, suicide rates and family income inequality, among others, while education took into account the enrollment rate for students 15-19, 20-24, as well as reading, math and science performance.
Alexandra Deabler is a Lifestyle writer and editor for Fox News.
US ranked among worst countries to raise a family, study says
By Ben Cost
July 23, 2020
Getty Images/iStockphoto
We get an “F” for family.
In case you thought America wasn’t experiencing enough turmoil of late, the United States has been named the second-worst wealthy nation in which to raise a family in 2020, according to new research by travel site Asher & Lyric.
“The first time I looked at the data, I was in disbelief,” co-founder Lyric Benson-Fergusson said of the findings in the “Raising a Family Index” (RAFI).
The Los Angeles-based mother of two started the site with her Aussie husband, Asher Fergusson, to help people “stay safe, healthy, and happy at home and while traveling,” per the website’s description.
To determine the most and least family-friendly countries, the couple rated 35 OECD countries (part of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development forum) according to safety, happiness, cost, health, education and time.
The US clocked in at an abysmal 34th place, just ahead of last-place finisher Mexico, whose murder rate jumped to the highest in nearly two years as drug cartels have run amok during the coronavirus lockdown. Leading the pack of overall fam-safe nations were Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland.
“I think if we, as Americans, are truly honest with ourselves, we might understand why the United States ranks solidly as the second-worst country to raise a family,” said Benson-Fergusson.
Case in point: The red-white-and-blue came in dead last in terms of time — which the RAFI gauged by maternity leave, vacation days and other factors — and cost, as measured by out-of-pocket health spending, cost of living, income ratio and more.
The study noted that the US is the only country that doesn’t require employers to offer maternity leave. Even worse, the average household blows 31.79% of their income on child care compared to the 4 to 10% spent by Scandinavian nations.
Most surprising was America’s global safety rating, which was, according to the research, the second-poorest after Mexico.
Despite statistics showing that reported crimes have been on the decline nationwide, the US homicide rate is still eclipsed only by Mexico, per the research. And America reportedly tops the list in school shootings with a whopping 288 incidents from 2009 to 2018, with Mexico placing second at eight and all other countries recording zero, per the study.
The Land of the Free also came in “fourth-worst” for human rights — here defined broadly across several categories including “protection against enslavement, the right to free speech and the right to education.”
The Fergussons attributed the United States’ nationwide mood dip to record “income disparities,” 20% of Americans suffering from mental health issues each year and a suicide rate that has “increased by 33% between 1999 to 2017.”
“I have come to the heartbreaking conclusion that America is a deeply challenged and troubled country,” Benson-Fergusson lamented. “It doesn’t, and maybe never did, line up with its own ideology.”
“My aspiration is that something will substantially change in my children’s lifetime,” she said.
Overall, the United States was the second-worst wealthy nation to raise a family in 2020, failing specifically in safety, cost and time, the website’s data concludes. It was just above Mexico, which was in last place at 35.
“The first time I looked at the data, I was in disbelief,” said co-founder Lyric Benson-Fergusson of the findings to the New York Post.
Where the U.S. faltered, according to the stats, were in criteria such as maternity and paternity leave, vacation days, out-of-pocket health spending, child care costs, homicide and school shootings – the United States was the highest in school shootings, significantly, compared with every other country, with 288 incidents from 2009-2018. The top five countries had zero.
The highest-rated nations were all in Europe – Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland – with each getting an A+ final index score.
The United States did manage to pull a C+ in happiness and education. The happiness score was determined by human freedom index, suicide rates and family income inequality, among others, while education took into account the enrollment rate for students 15-19, 20-24, as well as reading, math and science performance.
Alexandra Deabler is a Lifestyle writer and editor for Fox News.
US ranked among worst countries to raise a family, study says
By Ben Cost
July 23, 2020
Getty Images/iStockphoto
We get an “F” for family.
In case you thought America wasn’t experiencing enough turmoil of late, the United States has been named the second-worst wealthy nation in which to raise a family in 2020, according to new research by travel site Asher & Lyric.
“The first time I looked at the data, I was in disbelief,” co-founder Lyric Benson-Fergusson said of the findings in the “Raising a Family Index” (RAFI).
The Los Angeles-based mother of two started the site with her Aussie husband, Asher Fergusson, to help people “stay safe, healthy, and happy at home and while traveling,” per the website’s description.
To determine the most and least family-friendly countries, the couple rated 35 OECD countries (part of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development forum) according to safety, happiness, cost, health, education and time.
The US clocked in at an abysmal 34th place, just ahead of last-place finisher Mexico, whose murder rate jumped to the highest in nearly two years as drug cartels have run amok during the coronavirus lockdown. Leading the pack of overall fam-safe nations were Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland.
“I think if we, as Americans, are truly honest with ourselves, we might understand why the United States ranks solidly as the second-worst country to raise a family,” said Benson-Fergusson.
Case in point: The red-white-and-blue came in dead last in terms of time — which the RAFI gauged by maternity leave, vacation days and other factors — and cost, as measured by out-of-pocket health spending, cost of living, income ratio and more.
The study noted that the US is the only country that doesn’t require employers to offer maternity leave. Even worse, the average household blows 31.79% of their income on child care compared to the 4 to 10% spent by Scandinavian nations.
Most surprising was America’s global safety rating, which was, according to the research, the second-poorest after Mexico.
Despite statistics showing that reported crimes have been on the decline nationwide, the US homicide rate is still eclipsed only by Mexico, per the research. And America reportedly tops the list in school shootings with a whopping 288 incidents from 2009 to 2018, with Mexico placing second at eight and all other countries recording zero, per the study.
The Land of the Free also came in “fourth-worst” for human rights — here defined broadly across several categories including “protection against enslavement, the right to free speech and the right to education.”
The Fergussons attributed the United States’ nationwide mood dip to record “income disparities,” 20% of Americans suffering from mental health issues each year and a suicide rate that has “increased by 33% between 1999 to 2017.”
“I have come to the heartbreaking conclusion that America is a deeply challenged and troubled country,” Benson-Fergusson lamented. “It doesn’t, and maybe never did, line up with its own ideology.”
“My aspiration is that something will substantially change in my children’s lifetime,” she said.
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