Parents in the US are 12 percent less satisfied with their life than their nonparent peers; in Britain, the gap is 8 percent; in Denmark, it is 3 percent. There is a small happiness gap in Sweden and Norway of around 2 percent—but in Sweden and Norway parents are happier than people without kids. The Scandinavian countries consistently come out on top in family-friendly rankings; however, Sweden outperforms Denmark for balancing family and work. For instance, Swedish parents are entitled to spend sixty days a year at home caring for a sick child under the age of twelve.
