Child Development
Researchers from Save the Children UK, found a simple way of measuring child welfare, using (1) the mortality rate among under-fives; (2) the percentage of under-fives who are moderately or badly underweight; and (3) the proportion of primary-school-age children who are not enrolled in school — from 1990 to ‘94; 1995 to ‘99; and 2000 to ‘06. (See The Child Development Index.)
Almost every region of the world improved. Latin America and the Caribbean were the best performing area, with a 57% leap in child welfare between the first period and the third. China was the driver of a 45% improvement in East Asia. India’s poorish record with respect to malnutrition (at a time of impressive economic growth) dragged down the improvement (32%) registered by South Asia as a whole.
The worst-performing countries are mostly in Africa, though there was a 56% improvement in Malawi (and a 52% decline in war-ravaged Congo).
“The best places to breed,” The Economist