Iceland picked as world's best place to live

[NuclearDreams]

Iceland is the world's best place to live, according to an annual U.N. report that ranked sub-Saharan Africa as the worst place for someone to call home.

The island nation edged out Norway, which had held the top spot for the last six years. The United States slipped to 12th place from an eighth place ranking last year.

The U.N. Human Development Index used 2005 figures for life expectancy, educational levels and real per capita income to rank 175 nations of the world — plus Hong Kong and the Palestinian territories — for habitability. Rich, free-market economies dominated the top spots with Australia, Canada and Ireland rounding out the top five.

The top 15

1. Iceland
2. Norway
3. Australia
4. Canada
5. Ireland
6. Sweden
7. Switzerland
8. Japan
9. Netherlands
10. France
11. Finland
12. United States
13. Spain
14. Denmark
15. Austria



22. Germany :\

http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,313227,00.html

[sterio]

:D




i think i have to say something, for the forums to let me post that smilie

[Gaucho8788]

Germany's 22.:wtf: I figured they would've been higher up than that. I plan on visiting Germany someday, perhaps even moving there.

[sterio]

Btw, check out the stats: Australia gets 113% in education :p

[OneWiseJedi]

Bobby Fischer helped put Iceland on the map for me.

[sterio]

Haha, really? IMO that was one of the most stupid things my government has done. Not taking in a refugee, per se, but just picking some famous guy, who visited Iceland once, and granting him citizenship, while it's very hard for normal people foreigners living here to get anything like that, especially refugees!

[Statalyzer]

Yeah, I was about to say, wait a second he wasn't from Iceland.

10. France

Clearly the U.N. didn't consider body odor when making this list.

[Alpha and Omega]

Bobby Fischer helped put Iceland on the map for me.

Really? I thought it was the Vikings. :p

[Othalla]

France and Spain is only popular because the UK is such a **** place to live, so loads of us Brits move there instead :p

[Annihlator :D]

Woohoo! Switzerland is #7. Absolute best place in the world, especially the Berner Oberland, and if a certain someone (girlfriend) doesnt force me to move to West Virginia, I'll be living there.

[Derek]

Woohoo! Switzerland is #7. Absolute best place in the world, especially the Berner Oberland, and if a certain someone (girlfriend) doesnt force me to move to West Virginia, I'll be living there.
Also the second most expensive place to live.

[Othalla]

True Derek, but with those kind of views, I think it's well worth it if you can afford it. Austria might be a cheaper alternative to Switzerland though; some of the scenes there, astounding.

[Annihlator :D]

Also the second most expensive place to live.



........Not if you live in a Tent....... :shifty:

[Alpha and Omega]

It's like a list of places I don't wanna live. I'm awfully wierd though, I'm looking more for opportunity for improvement and individual freedom, and less for safety and development.

[Massacure]

France and Spain is only popular because the UK is such a **** place to live, so loads of us Brits move there instead :p

France and Spain are popular.

I just think the education index for the U.K. dropped about a brazillion points. :p

[sterio]

Also the second most expensive place to live.

Secons most? After Iceland, Norway and Japan, then? :p

Where did you get that information?



But A&O: Well, I quite seriously doubt we have any less individual freedom around here than you do in the US. The difference is instead of our tax money going on a huge military, it goes on loads of... nice stuff, like schools, hospitals etc...

[NuclearDreams]

Austria might be a cheaper alternative to Switzerland though; some of the scenes there, astounding.

We travel to Austria once a year, when the kids are on summer vacation. Our favorite spot is only a five hour drive. If we didn't have our roots so deep in Germany I'd pack up the family and move there.

[Derek]

Secons most? After Iceland, Norway and Japan, then? :p

Where did you get that information?
Yeah, I heard it somewhere. Ireland is also up there in the top five.

[Alpha and Omega]

But A&O: Well, I quite seriously doubt we have any less individual freedom around here than you do in the US. The difference is instead of our tax money going on a huge military, it goes on loads of... nice stuff, like schools, hospitals etc...

By "individual freedom" I meant "lack of government". So, instead of Europe, think, West Africa. Besides, you've got everything you need, great schools and hospitals and such, my skills are of no use.

[Statalyzer]

I'm looking more for opportunity for improvement and individual freedom
:clear:
free-market economies dominated the top spots

[Alpha and Omega]

Free market does not = opportunity. Matter of fact, it's almost the opposite.

Besides, my group is an aid organization, you don't need me to build schools and defend food convoys.

[sterio]

Oh I don't know... we could always have *more* schools :p

But I get your point - West Africa is quite interesting and does provide many more opportunities for doing "new stuff" than places like western Europe. I guess I'm just so selfish that although I'd like to go there (and... many other places :p) for visits, even long-term, and definately want to do something interesting, I still want to have my home here where things are nice and easy.

[Alpha and Omega]

Yeah, it is nice to not always be in the Third World. But if you stay there long enough, you'll see the work that needs to be done. You may decide not to leave until it's finished.

[SgtRicko]

Yeah, it is nice to not always be in the Third World. But if you stay there long enough, you'll see the work that needs to be done. You may decide not to leave until it's finished.

It can become sickening though, especially if you wind up stuck in its bureauacracy for too long. It sometimes even causes some people to become snide and jaded about life to the point of just not giving a damn about the cause anymore.

[TQ]

According to a report I read earlier New Zealand has been stagnating around the 19th position for about 10 years now :p Meanwhile Australia has shot up to number 3. No wonder about half the country is moving there. Oh well, somehow we're still higher than Germany, apparently.

[sverkuijlen2000]

Hehe, us dutchies are at the 9th spot. *flex*

To be honest it's pretty relaxed living here, in fact I think on some parts it's to good.
People here are so spoiled that they complain about the silliest things. (myself included)

ah well, Oranje boven!:)

[Rolk]

Btw, check out the stats: Australia gets 113% in education :p

I AM SMRT!

[SgtRicko]

I AM SMRT!

Then why do you have so much red-rep then, eh?:evil:

[Trevorrex]

According to a report I read earlier New Zealand has been stagnating around the 19th position for about 10 years now :p Meanwhile Australia has shot up to number 3. No wonder about half the country is moving there. Oh well, somehow we're still higher than Germany, apparently.

I don't see how this can be. I've always considered the two countries to be (no offense intended) virtually identical.

[SunnyInc.]

I don't see how this can be. I've always considered the two countries to be (no offense intended) virtually identical.

Offense taken. We're nothing like the bloody kiwi's!

:p

[sterio]

I would honestly have expected New Zealand to be higher up on the list than Australia. The countries are rather similar, but I think there is a more equal distribution of wealth in NZ...

[SunnyInc.]

I would honestly have expected New Zealand to be higher up on the list than Australia. The countries are rather similar, but I think there is a more equal distribution of wealth in NZ...

Disparity between the rich and poor is more distinguished in the stronger economies of the world. New Zealand has a relatively weak economy for a first world nation.

[KrasnyOktyabr]

I want to live in the middle of nowhere. Surrounded by lots of trees. I want a neighbor that lives a good mile away, at least a mile. I want a pickup, a diesel pickup, and I want to keep a surplus of fuel in a garage. Just a bunch of drums filled with fuel. I'll keep a car for my daily commute, and I'd like a decent sized utility tractor with a bucket. I want my own tools so I can be self sufficient with maintaining my vehicles, my property, and my home. I want to raise chickens, pigs, maybe a cow- but I hate cows. I want to work far away from my home, at least an hour, I don't want to even think of where I work when I'm sitting in my living room. I want my wife, I want my children, I want my guns. Most of all, however, I want the rest of the world to leave me the **** alone.

[TQ]

Disparity between the rich and poor is more distinguished in the stronger economies of the world. New Zealand has a relatively weak economy for a first world nation.
There's also just a lot more money to be made in Australia it seems...to quote from this article (which I've now found)

Nick Palmer, who moved to Australia this year, said he was earning significantly more across the ditch. The 26-year-old could "pick and choose" from telecommunications sale and service jobs.

"In my first year working I'm making 50 per cent more in an entry level position than I was after working the same job for five years in Dunedin."

http://stuff.co.nz/4299831a6160.html

The most amusing thing is the government position on it...essentially it's "uh, the report is probably wrong, just ignore it" :p

[ShirlApEs]

23. Israel

not a big surprise. a good place to live at but the local politics is ruining everything. :\