UN names Norway as best place to live

in 

Norway

A new ranking by the United Nations has named Norway as the best place to live in the world, with Australia and the Netherlands closely following.

The three countries have topped the United Nation’s 2011 Human Development Index, which examines factors such as education, health, political freedom and gender equality in different countries.

The countries joining the top three in the top ten were the United States, New Zealand, Canada, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Germany and Sweden. At the other end of the table Congo, Niger and Burundi made up the bottom three.

Milorad Kovacevic, chief statistician for the Human Development Report, said: “The Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index helps us assess better the levels of development for all segments of society, rather than for just the mythical average person. We consider health and education distribution to be just as important in this equation as income, and the data show great inequities in many countries.”

Of course, a number of countries are suitable for expatriates to enjoy comfortable and prosperous lives. Take a look at our City Guides for detailed information on a wide array of popular expatriate destinations.