Planning on starting a family? British expats might want to consider moving to a Nordic country if they want the best parental rights.

A study by the expat experts at William Russell looked at the best country in the world to raise a child.

The team looked at safety, the cost of childcare, happiness levels, health, education and maternity and paternity leave.

Iceland was named as the best country in the world to start a family. Working parents enjoy flexibility and generally get to spend more time with their newborns than in other countries.

Nearly 90 percent of fathers take the mandatory three months’ paternity leave while parents are often able to take their baby to work.

Denmark was second on the list with an excellent track record in childcare, safety and education.

Danes enjoy a flexible parental leave policy and it’s perfectly acceptable to leave work at 3 or 4pm to pick up your child.

The country’s childcare system isn’t free but it’s reasonably affordable compared to the cost in other European nations.

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Sweden took the third spot on the list due to its excellent childcare system and generous parental leave.

Finland and Norway rounded off the top five due to their fantastic childcare systems and flexible parental leave.

In Norway children generally start attending kindergarten from the age of one, right after parental leave finishes.

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