Norway ranks as the world's best place to be a mother, well ahead of the United States which dropped to the 33rd spot in the annual scorecard released by Save the Children.

Save the Children released its 16th annual Mothers' Index, which rates 179 countries based on five indicators related to maternal health, education, income levels and the status of women.

Scandinavian countries have consistently taken the first spots in the Mothers' Index, with Norway this year beating out Finland which held the top spot last year.

Save the Children CEO Carolyn Miles said the data confirmed that a country's economic wealth is not the sole factor leading to happy mothers, but that policies need to be put in place.

In the case of Norway, she said. "They do have wealth, but they also invest that wealth in things like mothers and children, as a very high priority," Miles said.

Somalia is the worst place, just below the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic.

This year, the United States dropped from number 31 on the list to 33, behind Japan, Poland and Croatia.

2015 Mother’s Index Ranking – top ten countries:

1.    Norway
2.    Finland
3.    Iceland
4.    Denmark
5.    Sweden
6.    Netherlands
7.    Spain
8.    Germany
9.    Australia
10.    Belgium

More on the report: www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.8585863/k.9F31/State_of_the_Worlds_Mothers.htm#download-the-report

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Photo: Innovation Norway