India judged the healthiest for kids

By Sarju Kaul

London

Oct. 8: India, China and Spain are the cheapest countries in which to raise children, according to a survey of expatriates.

The survey for HSBC Bank of 2,155 expatriates, of which 870 had children, also revealed that India was judged to be the healthiest country for children and Australia ranked a close second.

The Offshore Offspring report said India and Australia had the healthiest expat children, based on how much sport they play, how much junk food they eat, the amount of time spent playing computer games and watching television.

Children in Spain, France, India and Germany scored the best in the category of junk food eaten, with 80 per cent, 68 per cent, 67 per cent and 54 per cent from each respective country saying that their children ate less than in their country of origin, the report said.

However, children spend less time outdoors in India as compared to other countries. Actually 67 per cent of the respondents chose India as the country where children experienced a reduction in outdoor lifestyle.

India, France and Singapore scored high on increased study time as expatriate children study more in these countries than when they lived in their country of origin. Over 67 per cent expat children in India, 57 per cent in France and 42 per cent in Germany reported an overall increase in study time. Spain, France and Germany were ranked as the best locations overall. And Canada is one of the most popular places to live as one-third of expats living there believe their children will continue to stay as adults.

Also, 43 per cent Canadian expats expect their children to return to their country of origin. Australian and New Zealand expats are also closely tied to their homeland, with almost half (42 per cent) and over a third (38 per cent) of expats respectively believing their children are likely to return home.

In contrast, the UK is one of the worst places to raise children, according to the survey.