We often see lists regarding the most livable cities to reside in, but what are the most livable countries in the world? Recently 24/7 Wall St. took a look at these countries using data from the Human Development Index. This data is based off of factors such as having a healthy, long life, being knowledgeable, and having a good standard of living.
The seemingly biggest and most obvious factor in a country’s long term progress is its income. The more common it is for individuals to be bringing in solid paychecks, the more likely it is that they will have the tools to afford themselves a good standard of living. Throughout this list, we see numerous countries with high gross income per capita rates, which shows an individual’s average income measured against the countries.
Many of the other factors that go into determining the livability of a country include things such as life expectancy. The problem remains though, that if the income in a country is low, the health care budget may not be as large as one would like, leading to lower life expectancy rates. It’s no surprise that two of the lowest countries on this list, Niger and Congo, both have two of the top five lowest life expectancy rates on the planet.
Development in a nation is obviously more about money, but it does seem that income has a large effect on the other factors of development. A high gross income by no means guarantees that a nation will be highly livable, but an incredibly low income does ensure that the nation won’t be.
Now, lets take a look at the most livable countries in the world.
7. New Zealand
This country’s most notable attribute is its incredibly impressive education system. The average person in New Zealand receives more than 19 years of formal schooling. The country spends large portions of its budget on education and this has caused the country to be highly ranked in the other categories as well, such as life expectancy. Logically, the smarter a country is, the healthier and richer the populous will normally be.
Will New Zealand’s neighbor Australia make the list? Where will the countdown of the most livable countries in the world take us to next? Find out on the next page.
6. Germany
With one of the most advanced economic sectors in the world, Germany is easily one of the most livable countries in the world. The country ranks highly in all related quality-of-life categories, and has a unique range of beautiful natural areas combined with major metropolises.
5. United States
Many people might think the United States would rank higher on this list. The issue is that while America does have the world’s largest economy, the country struggles mightily with sexual and racial discrimination. The tension that permeates American culture hurts things such as life expectancy and medical care, and decreases the nation’s livability overall.
4. Netherlands
The Dutch, unlike the Americans, have a very solid equality rate. Almost 40% of the representatives in the country’s parliament are women, which is a major step up from the rest of the world. Moreover, while it doesn’t necessarily specialize in one thing, the Netherlands rank highly in every major livability category.
3. Switzerland
Switzerland has the third highest life expectancy in the world, which is only surprising in that the nation is known more for its economy than its health. Yet, when you combine these two factors, and include the skiing destinations that the country has, you get one of the most livable countries in the world.
2. Australia
Australia has the highest level of expected years of schooling in the entire world. Australia is similar to New Zealand educationally, and the rest of its quality of life attributes are solid, if not spectacular. One reason why Australia is ahead of say, the United States, is that its unemployment rate is extremely low and there is much less social outrage within the nation. Australia’s picturesque beaches and outdoors lifestyle make it a desirable location for anyone to live.
1. Norway
The most livable country in the world on our list is Norway. Norway has a marginal population of about 5 million people, yet the large majority of them seem to be doing well financially. Norway is in the top ten for categories such as gross income, life expectancy, and expected years of schooling. Many people might think negatively about the climate in Norway, yet that is seemingly overblown, as the average temperature is above the median. Norway’s solid infrastructure and growing tourist scene make it our number one most livable country in the world.
