Top 35 countries to be a girl

Tuesday, Oct. 11 is International Day of the Girl, a day dedicated to celebrating and empowering girls worldwide to reach their fullest potential.

A report by Save the Children released in conjunction with the day looked at child marriage, schooling, teen pregnancy, maternal deaths and the number of female representatives in national government to shed light on what it’s like to be a girl in 144 countries around the world. 

These are the top 35 countries for girls -- see where the U.S ranks.

1. Sweden

Coming in at number one, Sweden has a zero percent under 18 marriage rate, and 97.5 percent of girls stay in college until they are at least 16 years old. Women hold more than 43 percent of the representative positions in national government.

2. Finland

Finland is a close second to Sweden, also with zero percent of girls under 18 getting married, and 98.2 percent of girls staying in school until 16. The country has slightly less women in government, with 41.5 percent, and a maternal death rate of only three per 100,000 live births.

In this photo, local girls take part in medal presentation during the opening ceremony of the 2013 European Athletics U23 Championships in Tampere, Finland.

3. Norway

Almost 100 percent of girls remain in school until they are at least 16 in Norway, and just under 40 percent of the national government is made up of women. Norway’s child marriage rate is also zero percent.

Here, Dutch princess Beatrix (L) poses with Norwegian girls in front of the Norwegian Church in Rotterdam on November 13, 2014, as she attends the yearly Christmas market with Norwegian products.

4. Netherlands

Only 4.1 out of 1,000 births are to teen girls in the Netherlands, and 96.7 percent finish schooling through the age of 16. 

5. Belgium

Belgium’s teen pregnancy rate is sligthly higher than the other countries in the top five, with 8.4 per 1,000 births. But the child marriage percentage is still zero, and women represent just under 40 percent of the government.

6. Denmark

Nearly all of Denmark’s girls -- 98 percent -- stay in school until they are 16, and the child marriage rate is zero percent. Only 6 women per 100,000 births died in 2015.

In this photo, young girls sit in front of an anchor sculpture in the Nyhavn district in Copenhagen, Denmark.

7. Slovenia

Slovenia’s maternal death rate is slightly higher than other countries in the top ten, but the teen pregnancy rate is still low at 3.9 per 1,000 births. Nearly 100 percent of girls stay in school until 16 years old.

In this photo, a young Slovenian girl holds hands with Croatian president Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic during a ceremony in Ljubljana, Slovenia celebrating Slovenia’s statehood day.

8. Portugal

Portugal’s slightly higher teen pregnancy and maternal death rates pushed it towards the back end of the top 10. But the country still sees 96.7 percent of its girls go to school until 16, and has a zero percent child marriage rate.

In this photo, a girl walks near the Fire Lagoon on Portugal’s Sao Miguel island on July 1, 2015.

9. Switzerland

Switzerland’s women represent 32 percent of the government, and the maternal death rate is just five out of 100,000 births. Teen pregnancies are also low, with only 3.1 per 1,000 births.

Delia Schlabas of Switzerland celebrates winning the Girls 3000m final in this photo taken during the 2016 European Athletics Youth Championships.

10. Italy

A whopping 100 percent of girls in Italy go to school through at least the age of 16, planting it firmly in the top 10. Teen pregnancy and maternal death rates are also low, while 31 percent of representative jobs in government are held by women.

In this photo, a little girl sits above the crowd at the 73rd Venice Film Festival on September 5, 2016.

11. Spain

Spain’s schooling percentage is 85.4 percent, pushing it out of the top 10. But its child marriage rate is still zero, while women occupy more than 41 percent of the positions in the national government.

Here, a girl plays with a decoration during an annual street festival in the Gracia district of Barcelona in August 2016.

12. Germany

Seven out of every 1,000 births in Germany is to a teen girl, but the child marriage rate remains at zero. More than 87 percent of girls finish schooling through the age of 16.

Girls dressed in Bavarian folk outfits wave in this picture taken at the Parade of Costumes during Oktoberfest 2015 in Munich, Germany.

13. Austria

Austria’s child marriage rate is also zero percent, and 96 percent of girls stay in school until they are at least 16. Only 4 women per 100,000 births died in 2015.

14. Luxembourg

Just under 99 percent of girls in Luxembourg go to school through the age of 16, but the teen pregnancy and maternal death rates are both higher than other countries in the top 15.

Princess Stephanie of Luxembourg greets young girls in this photo from a visit to the town Esch-sur-Alzette on June 22, 2014 in Luxembourg.

15. United Kingdom

The U.K. rounds out the top 15 with a high percentage for schooling through the age of 16 and zero percent child marriage, but a higher teen pregnancy rate of 15.3 per 1,000 births.

This photo was taken as schoolgirls celebrated after receiving exam results in Manchester, England.

16. New Zealand

New Zealand has a zero percent child marriage rate, but a slightly higher teen pregnancy rate of 23.9 out of 1,000 births. In addition, 11 women per 100,000 births died in 2015.

Here, two young girls play in a display at the Auckland Lantern Festival on February 18, 2016 in Auckland, New Zealand.

17. Israel

One hundred percent of Israel’s young girls stay in school through the age of at least 16, but women make up only 26.7 percent of the national government.

18. France

France also has a 100 percent rate for girls who stay in school until at least 16 years old. Nine births out of 1,000 are to teen girls, and the child marriage rate remains at zero.

19. Canada

Despite the fact that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet is made up of an equal number of men and women, only 26 percent of Canadian Parliament is made up of women. 

However, nearly 97 percent of girls finish schooling through the age of 16.

In this photo, Trudeau poses for a selfie with a young girl.

20. Serbia

Serbia is the first country on the list with a child marriage rate higher than zero, with 3.2 percent. It also has much higher teen pregnancy and maternal death rates.

However, nearly 97 percent of girls go to school until they are at least 16, and 34 percent of the government is made up of women.

In this photo, a young girl on a boat points at mayflies on the Tisa river near the Serbian town of Kanjiza.

21. Australia

Only six women per 100,000 births died in Australia in 2015, and the child marriage rate is zero percent. More than 96 percent of girls go to school through the age of 16.

Australian soccer star Charlotte Caslick poses with two young girls in this photo.

22. Poland

Poland has a very low maternal death rate, with just three deaths per 100,000 live births, and a child marriage rate of zero.

Here, members of the “Avocadoo” club perform a pool dance on a street sign pole in Lodz, central Poland.

23. Estonia

One hundred percent of Estonia’s girls go to school through the age of 16, but only 23.8 percent of government representatives are women.

This picture shows a girl helping her mother cast a ballot at a polling station in Estonia.

24. Belarus

Belarus also sees 100 percent of its girls go to school until they are at least 16, but has a higher teen pregnancy rate of 18.8 per 1,000 births and a child marriage percentage of 3.2.

In this picture, a girl plays inside fake dinosaur jaws during the opening of the Dinosaur Park in Minsk, Belarus.

25. Czech Republic

Just over twenty percent of government positions in the Czech Republic are held by women, but the maternal death rate remains low and child marriage is zero percent.

This photo shows young girls in traditional Czech costumes dancing in the historic Mikulov Square in Mikulov, Czech Republic.

26. Greece

Women hold just 19.7 percent of government jobs in Greece, but 97 percent of girls stay in school until at least 16 years old.

A girl plays in a fountain while the sun sets at a park in Athens, Greece.

27. South Korea

South Korea has a teen pregnancy rate of just 1.7 per 1,000 births, and nearly 97 percent of girls go to school until 16 years old. However, only 16.3 percent of representative positions in government are held by women.

Here, girls practice choreography at a dance school in Seoul, South Korea. 

28. Macedonia

Macedonia has the highest child marriage rate so far at 6.9 percent. The teen pregnancy rate is also relatively high comparatively, with 17.9 per 1,000 births. However, nearly 87 percent of girls stay in school until 16 years old.

29. Ireland

One hundred percent of Ireland’s girls stay in school until they are at least 16 years old, and the child marriage rate is zero. But just 16.3 percent of government representative jobs are held by women.

In this photo, girls perform during St. Patrick’s Day festivities in Dublin, Ireland.

30. Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan has a higher teen pregnancy rate of 28.6 percent, and a child marriage rate of 6.1 percent. But 100 percent of its girls go to school until they are at least 16.

Two girls jump near a sculpture of the first cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin, in this photo from Kazakhstan.

31. Algeria

Algeria has the highest maternal death rate yet, at 140 deaths per 100,000 births, and a child marriage rate of 2.5 percent. 

However, 87.2 percent of girls finish schooling through 16 years old, and female representatives make up 31.6 percent of the government.

32. United States

While the United States is one of the richest nations in the world, it is not keeping up when it comes to the well-being of its girls, says Carolyn Miles, president and CEO of Save the Children.

A few different issues played a role in determining the its position on the list. These include relatively high teen pregnancy -- 24.1 per 1,000 live births -- and poor female representation in government. Only 19.4 percent of members of Congress are women. 

However, the child marriage rate remains at zero percent, and nearly 97 percent of girls go to school until the age of 16.

33. Tunisia

Over 78 percent of Tunisia’s girls go to school through the age of 16, and more than 31 percent of government representatives are women. 

However, the maternal death and child marriage rates are higher than many other countries in the top 35.

In this photo, a girl performs in costume during a ceremony at the National Bardo Museum in Tunis, Tunisia.

34. Cuba

Cuba makes it into the top 35 with just under 50 percent of its representatives in government being female, and 98.7 percent of its girls going to school until they are 16 years old.

However, the child marriage and teen pregnancy rates are the highest on the list so far -- 26 percent and 46.2 per 1,000 births, respectively.

35. Japan

One hundred percent of Japan’s girls go to school until they are at least 16, but just 9.5 percent of government representative jobs are held by women -- the lowest in the top 35.