Norway Best Place to Live, USA Ranks 13th!

Norway is the best place to live in the world, according to annual United Nations human development index released today.  Norway takes the number one spot in the United Nations index but China has made the biggest strides in improving the lives of it’s citizens.

The U.N. human development index ranks 182 countries based on such criteria as life expectancy, literacy, school enrolment and gross domestic product.

Norway, Australia and Iceland took the first three spots. Niger ranks at the very bottom, just below Afghanistan.  The top ten countries listed on the index are:

• Norway
• Australia
• Iceland
• Canada
• Ireland
• The Netherlands
• Sweden
• France
• Switzerland
• Japan

The United States ranks 13th, down one spot from 2008′s report.  The United Nations human development index highlights the disparities between rich and poor countries.

• A child born in Niger can expect to live to just over 50, which is 30 years less than a child born in Norway.

• For every dollar a person earns in Niger, 85 dollars are earned in Norway.