Norways world’s best place to live, Niger worst (News.com.au 5 Oct)

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norway pic

Norway world’s best place to live, Niger worst

Agence France-Presse

October 05, 2009 02:46pm

Norway retains most desireable status
Australia comes second
Niger the world’s least desirable

NORWAY has retained its status as the world’s most desirable country to live in, according to U.N. data, which ranks sub-Saharan African states afflicted by war and HIV/AIDS as the least attractive places.

Data collected prior to the global economic crisis showed people in Norway, Australia and Iceland had the best living standards, while Niger, Afghanistan and Sierra Leone scored worst in terms of human development.

Australia was ranked fourth in last years rankings.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) index was compiled using 2007 data on GDP per capita, education, and life expectancy, and showed marked differences between the developed and developing world.

“Despite significant improvements over time, progress has been uneven,” UNDP said in a statement.

“Many countries have experienced setbacks over recent decades, in the face of economic downturns, conflict-related crises and the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and this was even before the impact of the global economic crisis was felt.”

It’s a nice country but expect to pay x5 as much for things compared to here (inc. of exchange rates). Another reason for my norwegian fiancee to ditch Norway for oz

Life expectancy in Niger was 50, about 30 years shorter than Norway, according to the index. For every dollar earned per person in Niger, $85 was earned in Norway.

Half the people in the poorest 24 countries were illiterate, compared to 20 percent in nations classed as having medium levels of human development, the index showed.

Japanese people lived longer than others, to 82.7 years on average, with life expectancy in war-ravaged Afghanistan just 43.6 years.

Liechtenstein has the highest GDP per capita at $85,383 in a tiny principality home to 35,000 people, 15 banks and more than 100 wealth management companies.

People were poorest in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where average income per person was $298 per year.

Five countries – China, Venezuela, Peru, Colombia and France – climbed three or more places from the previous year, driven by greater earnings and longer life expectancy. China, Colombia and Venezuela also scored better due to improvements in education.

UNDP, which has published the index annually since 1990, said human development had improved globally by 15 percent since 1980, with China, Iran and Nepal the biggest climbers in the chart.