Do you think it’s America, the “land of opportunity”? Or perhaps Australia?

Actually, the best place to be born in 2013 is Switzerland, according to a quality-of-life index from the Economist Intelligence Unit.

The EIU, a sister company to The Economist magazine, determines quality of life based on surveys of the population covering 11 factors including wealth, crime, family life, trust in government and the stability of the economy. South Africa sits at 52 out of 80.

The top ten best places to be born in 2013:
1. Switzerland
2. Australia
3. Norway
4. Sweden
5. Denmark
6. Singapore
7. New Zealand
8. Netherlands
9. Canada
10. Hong Kong

Interestingly, back in 1988, the United States was in first place, with France in second, and West Germany in third. Zimbabwe was last, with Iraq second to last and Iran third to last. And South Africa  was at number 40.

Here’s the entire list:

Info via Shine

Image via parenting.com