The best place to raise a child? New Zealand

Photo / Thinkstock

New Zealand has been named the best place to raise a child in an international study.

In the just-released HSBC Expat Explorer Survey, New Zealand topped the Raising Children Abroad annual league table - followed by South Africa, Germany and Japan.

The country performed well in terms of a child's health and well-being.

Results revealed 87 per cent of expat parents in New Zealand had noticed improved child safety here.

They also observed their children's health and well-being had improved. Expat parents cited our diverse landscape, good weather and scenery as some of the reasons why they liked living in New Zealand.

The results have come as "no surprise" to the Brainwave Trust, a national charitable organisation which promotes the importance of nurturing children in the first three years of life.

"It is good news that New Zealand is now being recognised overseas as being a safe and healthy country for kids," Brainwave's executive director, Sue Wright, said. "It underlines we have as good a reputation for children's health, education and happiness as anywhere else in the developed world."

The survey also found about 73 per cent of expats rated New Zealand's environment as being better than their own country of origin.

Six out of 10 parents believed their children had become more well-rounded since living here.

Meanwhile, Asia was identified as the best place for expats to earn money, while Thailand and Vietnam were noted as having the cheapest cost of recreation.