Have you ever wondered what are the countries with the best quality of life in the world? And, what your life would be if you were born in one of those countries? If you could choose, among all countries in the world, which one would you pick for your place of birth? Tough choice, right? We decided to help you dream easier, and that is why we have compiled this list of 25 countries with the best quality of life in the world. Seriously, who would not want to live in these countries with excellent healthcare, above-average income, and numerous employment opportunities?
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Measuring quality of life is not an easy task, so feel free to compare this list with the similar one – Countries with the highest quality of life index – in order to gather more relevant data about the best countries to live in the world. No, these lists aren’t the same, because of different parameters used. Check them both, and let us know – which one is more accurate in your opinion. We’ll be happy to hear what countries you consider having the best quality of life in the world.
To come up with unique but accurate (as possible) ranking for this list, Insider Monkey used data provided by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s A Better Life Index, the United Nation’s Human Development Index, and Economist Intelligence Unit’s Where to be Born Index. Respective rankings for each country in each index are noted. Our ranking was obtained by averaging a country’s rank in all of the indices. Be informed, however, that some countries in this list are not members of the OECD, and some were not included in the Where to be Born Index, for some unknown reason. As such, some of the entries on this list have only 2 ranks, aside from Insider Monkey’s rank. In addition, there are also multiple countries in one entry, having the same Insider Monkey average rank.
Let’s find out if your country of residence is included in among these countries with the best quality of life in the world, shall we?
25. Slovenia
UN HDI rank: 25
OECD rank: 19
Where-To-Be-Born index rank: 32
Average rank: 25.3
Being the second-richest among the Slavic countries, Slovenia enjoys a high GDP per capita – $19,326 a year. Its education system also ranks among the world’s best, coming in at 12th worldwide, according to the Programme for International Student Assessment.
24. Italy
UN HDI rank: 26
OECD rank: 22
Where-To-Be-Born index rank: 21
Average rank: 23
Sixty-six percent of people living in Italy assess themselves to be in good health, and this is reflected in the country’s life expectancy rate, which is 82 years. In addition, the average annual disposable income per capita in Italy is $25,166, which contributes to a higher standard of living.
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23. France
UN HDI rank: 20
OECD rank: 18
Where-To-Be-Born index rank: 26
Average rank: 21.3
Like our previous entry, the French also have a life expectancy at 82 years, as a result of one of the best healthcare systems in the world. In a recent survey, life satisfaction, education and health were the highest-rated areas by citizens.
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21. Luxembourg and Israel
Luxembourg
With its inhabitants enjoying a high income along with high standards of living, Luxembourg has been consistently ranked as one of the countries with the best quality of life in the world. Its citizens’ highest rated areas are health, life satisfaction, and income.
UN HDI rank: 23
OECD rank: 17
Average rank: 21
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Israel
UN HDI rank: 19
OECD rank: 24
Where-To-Be-Born index rank: 20
Average rank: 21
Sharing the 21st spot on our list, Israel is a remarkable story. Despite a poor employment situation in recent years, Israel has rebounded and has enjoyed a stable economy in the face of turmoil in the Middle East. Health has been the highest factor that contributes to its citizens’ quality of life, with income, wealth and subjective well-being coming in next. This is an amazing feat, considering that the country has a very limited amount of natural resources.
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20. Japan
UN HDI rank: 17
OECD rank: 20
Where-To-Be-Born index rank: 25
Average rank: 20.7
Another country consistently at the top of quality-of-life lists, Japan has one of the highest rates of personal security among all countries, with its income, wealth and education ranking above most of the countries on this list. Health has also been a highly-ranked factor, as evidenced by the number of centenarians in this formerly isolated country.
19. South Korea
UN HDI rank: 16
OECD rank: 25
Where-To-Be-Born index rank: 19
Average rank: 20
Having enjoyed a boom in its economy South Korea has established itself as one the economic powerhouses not only in Asia but also the world. Its science education has been ranked by OECD as being the third best in the world.
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18. United Kingdom
UN HDI rank: 14
OECD rank: 12
Where-To-Be-Born index rank: 27
Average rank: 17.7
Social engagement, environmental quality, personal security and social connections have been the most highly-ranked areas by its citizens that make the United Kingdom a suitable place to live in. Despite some workplace issues, income and wealth remain high, which reflects in its citizens high rating in life satisfaction.
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17. Belgium
UN HDI rank: 22
OECD rank: 13
Where-To-Be-Born index rank: 15
Average rank: 16.7
With an excellent ranking in work-life balance, Belgium takes the 17th spot on our list. Sixty-two percent of people aged 15-64 have a paid job, and only 5% of these work very long hours. Health has also been rated highly by its citizens, along with its education system, which has also been ranked as 19th best in the world by OECD.
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16. Austria
UN HDI rank: 21
OECD rank: 15
Where-To-Be-Born index rank: 13
Average rank: 16.3
With a stable economy and high employment rate, Austria has been rated as one of the better countries to live in. Housing has never been a problem in the country, with only less than 1% of dwellings without basic sanitary facilities. Austrians are also satisfied with their income at $45,199, higher than most countries in this list.
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15. Finland
UN HDI rank: 24
OECD rank: 8
Where-To-Be-Born index rank: 11
Average rank: 14.3
Education was ranked highly by Finnish citizens, which also reflects in the OECD ranking as having one of the top literacy rates in the world. Its citizens are also very happy with their environment, with housing and life satisfaction also ranking very highly.
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14. Ireland
UN HDI rank: 11
OECD rank: 16
Where-To-Be-Born index rank: 12
Average rank: 13
With only 4% of its employees working very long hours, Ireland has an excellent ranking in “work-life balance” category. Safety has also been highly ranked, with a homicide rate much lower than in most countries on this list. Health and education were also highly ranked by the citizens.
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11. Iceland and Germany
Iceland
UN HDI rank: 11
OECD rank: 13
Average rank: 12
Don’t let its name fool you – Iceland has a lush environment and has one of the highest quality of life rankings in the world. Though income per capita is lower than in other countries, employment was highly-ranked due to an employment rate of 82%. Gender equality in the workplace has been significant in the country’s ranking, with 80% of women having jobs. The homicide rate for the country was also one of the lowest among countries in this list, making it a very safe place to live in.
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Germany
UN HDI rank: 6
OECD rank: 14
Where-To-Be-Born index rank: 16
Average rank: 12
Housing and sanitary facilities have been highly ranked by the citizens, with 99% of all households having access to basic sanitary facilities. Another contributing factor was annual income, with the average household income coming in at $31,252. Education was also noted to perform better than other countries in the list.
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10. United States of America
UN HDI rank: 5
OECD rank: 7
Where-To-Be-Born index rank: 17
Average rank: 9.7
Along with the previous entry, housing was also highly ranked, with 99.9% of households having access to basic sanitary facilities. Income was another factor for the country’s ranking. Household income per capita is $41,355, higher than most countries. Health was also highly ranked, with 96% of adults having declared themselves being in “good” health or better.
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9. New Zealand
UN HDI rank: 7
OECD rank: 10
Where-To-Be-Born index rank: 7
Average rank: 8.5
Known for its amazing landscapes as seen in The Lord of the Rings, New Zealand comes in at the 9th place on our list. Finding a job in the country isn’t as hard as Frodo looking for the ring in the movie, as only 0.8% of all workers remain unemployed for at least a year. Combine this statistic with each worker’s annual income of $35,509, and you would understand why New Zealand was ranked this high.
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8. Singapore
UN HDI rank: 9
Where-To-Be-Born index rank: 6
Average rank: 7.5
This tiny city-state has also come a long way from being a small British outpost in the 1800’s, to one of the most economically-important financial centers in the world. Despite the government being authoritarian, decisions have been made by its former Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, that put its citizens ahead of the government’s interests. This has made its healthcare and education at par with most Western countries.
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7. Canada
UN HDI rank: 8
OECD rank: 5
Where-To-Be-Born index rank: 9
Average rank: 7
Canada has been known the world over for its free universal healthcare, which has contributed to a very high quality of life for its citizens. This was reflected in the OECD survey, as 95% of respondents have declared themselves as having “good” health or better. Household income per capita is at $67,913, which also contributes much to its citizens’ happiness.
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6. The Netherlands
UN HDI rank: 4
OECD rank: 9
Where-To-Be-Born index rank: 8
Average rank: 7
Home of the windmills and world-famous tulips, The Netherlands enjoys a high household income per-capita of $77,961, higher than most countries on the list. Employment was also high, with 74% of the working age group having a paid job. Along with the above-mentioned areas, education and life satisfaction were also ranked highly.
5. Denmark
UN HDI rank: 10
OECD rank: 4
Where-To-Be-Born index rank: 5
Average rank: 6.3
Social interaction was one area highly ranked in this country, with 95% of respondents having said that they could rely on someone when they are in need. Another key area is civic engagement, with an 88% voter turnout and an ease of filing requests. Safety was also an area of high ranking, along with life satisfaction and health.
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4. Sweden
UN HDI rank: 12
OECD rank: 3
Where-To-Be-Born index rank: 4
Average rank: 6
Employment for the working age group was high for Sweden, with 87% of individuals having a paid job. And with this statistic, per-capita income is at $40,818. The environment has been one of the biggest factors for Sweden’s high ranking, with a very low pollution rate and almost universal access to clean and safe drinking water. Health and civic engagement were also highly ranked by Swedes.
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3. Switzerland
UN HDI rank: 3
OECD rank: 6
Where-To-Be-Born index rank: 1
Average rank: 3.3
Known for its super-secret and efficient banking system, Switzerland has the 3rd best quality of life in our list. Income is one of the highest in the world, with household wealth per capita at $108,823. Education is also above the OECD average, and along with its above average ratings in employment and health care, the Swiss surely are living the life.
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2. Norway
UN HDI rank: 1
OECD rank: 2
Where-To-Be-Born index rank: 3
Average rank: 2
Income and employment have been the biggest contributors for Norway’s ranking. Unemployment for at least a year has only been experienced by 0.3% of the population, and when employed, per-capita income was very high. Life satisfaction of its citizens has also been rated highly, as well as health and the environment.
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1. Australia
UN HDI rank: 2
OECD rank: 1
Where-To-Be-Born index rank: 2
Average rank: 1.7
With a very high ranking from our 3 sources, Australia comes at number 1 among all countries with the best quality of life in the world. Household income per capita is at $31,588. Life expectancy is 82 years at birth, one of the highest among countries on the list. Housing, employment, education and civic engagement were also highly ranked by its citizens.
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