Newsweek's top 10

[Cheetah]

And it says Norway is the best country to live in, for the fourth year in a row.

Japan wasn't very high this year though. I believe they were second two years ago or so?

 

[crystal]

On the subject of country rankings, here's the UN's Human Development Index ranking.

Of course, HDI isn't exactly problem-free either, but at least you can see what they're factoring in.

Judging by that list, it hardly seems problem-free.

 

[Cheetah]

What do you mean crystal? As I can see it's one of the better ways to rank coutries.

 

[Mise]

On the subject of country rankings, here's the UN's Human Development Index ranking.

Of course, HDI isn't exactly problem-free either, but at least you can see what they're factoring in.

An interesting read, none the less. The individual tables are probably more revealing than the overall ranking.

HPI-2 ranks for 17 selected OECD countries (this means Human and Income Poverty ranking. A rank of 1 means there is not as much poverty as a rank of 17.):

1. Sweden
2. Norway
3. Netherlands
4. Finland
5. Denmark
6. Germany
7. Luxembourg
8. France
9. Spain
10. Japan
11. Italy
12. Canada
13. Belgium
14. Australia
15. United Kingdom
16. Ireland
17. United States
(It stopped here by the way - I didn't just end at 17 to prove any particular point.)

Gini index for top 25 countries (0 = perfectly even distribution of wealth, 100 = perfectly uneven distribution of wealth):

HDI Rank. Country........... Gini index
1. Norway...................... 25.8
2. Sweden..................... 25.0
3. Australia.................... 35.2
4. Canada...................... 33.1
5. Netherlands................ 32.6
6. Belgium...................... 25.0
7. Iceland...................... (no data)
8. United States............. 40.8
9. Japan........................ 24.9
10. Ireland..................... 35.9
11. Switzerland............... 33.1
12. United Kingdom.......... 36.0
13. Finland..................... 26.9
14. Austria..................... 30.0
15. Luxembourg............... 30.8
16. France..................... 32.7
17. Denmark................... 24.7
18. New Zealand............. 36.2
19. Germany................... 28.3
20. Spain....................... 32.5
21. Italy........................ 36.0
22. Israel....................... 35.5
23. Hong Kong, China (SAR).. 43.4
24. Greece..................... 35.4
25. Singapore................. 42.5

 

[crystal]

What do you mean crystal? As I can see it's one of the better ways to rank coutries.

First, just look at the gross differences in the standard of living in the world. Our world hardly seems very problem-free. The overall HDI rating seems also rather obscure, imho the individual statistics are much more interesting. What annoys me too is that this index is entirely human-centered (but I guess that's the point in it). Lastly, there are other contradictions, like those stated in Mise's post.

 

[Mise]

Lastly, there are other contradictions, like those stated in Mise's post.

Ok, I'm definately losing it this evening , what contradictions are there?

My post basically says (for example) that Norway has little poverty, and that wealth is distributed evenly across the population, whereas (for example) the USA has more poverty than Norway, and that the USA's wealth is distributed less evenly across the population.

 

[crystal]

Ok, I'm definately losing it this evening , what contradictions are there?

My post basically says (for example) that Norway has little poverty, and that wealth is distributed evenly across the population, whereas (for example) the USA has more poverty than Norway, and that the USA's wealth is distributed less evenly across the population.

Dammit, don't you see that I'm trying to avoid bashing the US again!

 

[Mise]

They were merely examples. I'm sure there's pro-USA stats too, like the GDP per capita figures (PPP adjusted), which the USA pretty much nails everyone else with.

 

[Adebisi]

Values such as security and safety, for example, have nothing to do with money. The top money-making country in the world, USA, has a lot of poverty. AFAIK it is a LOT more likely to be robbed or murdered in the US than it is, for example, in Finland, while Finland has a lot smaller GDP. Their is HUGE amount of TVP(TVs / person) in US, as well with GDP, but security is another matter.

Being unemployed in Finland is poverty, however relative. I don't think as life as a Bob Marley song, nor a Horace Andy song. A lot of people, including you, seem to give money much higher value than it actually deserves.

(...)

Oh, and how can you live safe by spending money? You mean stronger locks? A gun or private security guard perhaps? Only way you can increase your safety by money is to choose your place of residence. And that place may not be one with highest GDP

1. You are assuming here the criminality is a much greater problem in the US than in Finland, and therefore you assume the capitalism causes criminality. That is just speculation. A police state such as Cuba obviously has little crime, but how does it matter? Fear of criminals does not mean you have to accept a far greater criminal, the state.

2. How can you not buy security? You can move to a safe place, buy insurance, etc etc. I value money because it can be traded for almost any other commodity which is important in life.

 

[Adebisi]

1. The government doesn't have enough money to pay for more playgrounds, and the problem is therefore that the government have to low taxes.

This is about a little more than just playgrounds, you know.

overall HDI rating seems also rather obscure

Indeed. It bears some relevance for comparing undevelop nations, but is hardly a way to measure what nation is the "best".