We know which cities in America are best for raising a family, but where in the world is the best place to be a kid?

Well, this might come as some surprise to you, but according to the latest report by Save the Children, it isn't the United States. In fact, the US did not even make the list.

Surprisingly, Japan leads the world as the most suitable place for a kid to grow up, followed closely by Spain, with Germany rounding out the top three.

The study, known as the Child Development Index, is released periodically by Save the Children -- it details the best countries in the world for a kid to be raised based on a nation’s level of quality heath, education and nutrition.

It might seem a little morose to consider, the organization also ranks countries based on the probability of a child dying there before his or her fifth birthday, never enrolling in school and of being underweight, with the lower the probability the better a country's composite index score.

For example, Japan has the best overall score of 0.35 due to its solid educational and medical conditions, while Somalia scored a 54.50, laying claims to the worst possible place in the world to be a kid.

So while America didn’t make the cut this time around, the good news is there is room for improvement. Perhaps we can learn a thing or two from the following countries.

The World's Top 10 Kid-Friendly Nations

1. Japan
2. Spain
3. Germany
4. Italy
5. France
6. Canada
7. Switzerland
8. Norway
9. United Kingdom
10. Netherlands

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