In Africa, a child is 20 times more likely to die before the age of 5 than in the United States, according to statistics from the international NGO Save the Children

Sub-Saharan Africa is at the top of the list of dangerous places for little children.

Save the Children has ranked 172 countries according to where childhood is most protected.

Using data from governments and the United Nations, researchers looked at indicators such as under-5 mortality, malnutrition, school access, child labour, early marriage, displacement and homicides.

European countries such as Norway, Slovenia and Finland top the list, while Niger, Angola and Mali come in last place.

In the list of dangerous places for the children, 7 countries were from West and Central Africa.

Children in these countries are the least likely to experience full childhood, a time that should be devoted to emotional, social and physical development, as well as gambling, the report says.

Ranking of countries

Guinea 163

Sierra Leone 163

Burkina Faso 165

South Sudan 166

Chad 167

Somalia 168

Central African Republic 169

Mali 170

Angola 171

Niger 172

The highest rates of infant mortality are recorded in African countries such as Angola, Chad, Mali, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia and the Central African Republic, where more than 10% of children die before their fifth birthday.

This rate is 40 times higher than that of Finland or Japan. African countries also have the highest rates of child labour and child marriage.