Iceland best place to live, Africa worst: UN

[JODO 2]

Iceland best place to live, Africa worst: UN

Tue Nov 27, 4:22 PM ET

Iceland has overtaken Norway as the world's most desirable country to live in, according to an annual U.N. table published on Tuesday that again puts AIDS-afflicted sub-Saharan African states at the bottom.

Rich free-market countries dominate the top places, with Iceland, Norway, Australia, Canada and Ireland the first five but the United States slipping to 12th place from eighth last year in the U.N. Human Development Index.

But the index, blending 2005 figures for life expectancy, educational levels and real per capita income, finds that all 22 countries falling into its "low human development" category are in sub-Saharan Africa, with Sierra Leone last.

In 10 of these countries, two children in five will not reach the age of 40, said the compilers at the U.N. Development Program. Last year's report said HIV/AIDS had had a "catastrophic effect" on life expectancy in the region.

The index ranks 175 U.N. member countries plus Hong Kong and the Palestinian territories. It does not include 17 countries, including Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia, because of inadequate data.

Norway had held top spot for six years but was edged into second place by Iceland this year because of new life expectancy estimates and updated figures for gross domestic product, or GDP, the report said.

U.N. officials played down the significance of minor short-term shifts in the rankings including the slide in the U.S. position. They said if subsequent data for the year in question been available for last year's report, the United States would have been in 10th, not eighth place.

The United States scores high on real per capita GDP, which at $41,890 is second only to that of Luxembourg ($60,228), but less well on life expectancy -- joint last in the top 26 countries, along with Denmark and South Korea, at 77.9 years.

Japanese have the longest life expectancy -- 82.3 years -- and Zambians the lowest, at 40.5.

The report said most countries had seen their human development index rise over the last 30 years, but in 16 it was lower than in 1990, and in three -- the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia and Zimbabwe -- lower than in 1975.

Per capita GDP is 45 times higher in Iceland than in Sierra Leone.

The United Nations has published its human development index every year since 1990.

[Mags 112]

I'd love to visit Iceland. Someone take me please.

[SqdnGuns 21]

Iceland is beautiful, been there 3 times and summer is the best.

[jundp 191]

I'd love to go to Iceland too.

I'm not at all surprised that sub-Saharan Africa ranks in the lowest.

[Ta Ta 1]

And I wish I was in Sierra Leone right now with my honey.........yes S/l is on the very bottom of the list. It has a reputation as ' coffin for the white man'.

The standard of living is terrible. I saw things I can't ever forget.

But the beautiful beaches and with their magnificent tropical coasts

could be a haven for tourists and bring S/L up on the list......some day !

[Queen Jenn 0]

I was just thinking as I read this post that while Iceland may be beautiful (and I would like to go someday), all I want right now is to be in West Africa with my honey!!!

[Imua 0]

So Nepal isn't in the bottom 5? Surprising...

Usually in these lists its somewhere between Chad and Yemen.

[Nessa 23]

the best place to live is where your love is

[Queen Jenn 0]

the best place to live is where your love is

Amen to that!!!!!!!!!!

[JODO 2]

the best place to live is where your love is

Nessa's proverbs, volume 1.

[Nessa 23]

the best place to live is where your love is

Nessa's proverbs, volume 1.

[Imua 0]

the best place to live is where your love is

So true - I'd give anything to be in Nepal right now, even with its power cuts, strikes, unstable politics, horrific traffic, intestinal parasites... just because my guy is there - at the end of the day that is all that matters.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

the best place to live is where your love is

So true - I'd give anything to be in Nepal right now, even with its power cuts, strikes, unstable politics, horrific traffic, intestinal parasites... just because my guy is there - at the end of the day that is all that matters.

intestinal parasites, yum

[Imua 0]

the best place to live is where your love is

So true - I'd give anything to be in Nepal right now, even with its power cuts, strikes, unstable politics, horrific traffic, intestinal parasites... just because my guy is there - at the end of the day that is all that matters.

intestinal parasites, yum

Unfortunately I am familiar with them - not fun...

Doncha know Nepal has the 4 'M's: Mountains, Maoists, Mosquitoes and 'Moebas...

Still the best place on earth to me now.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

intestinal parasites, yum

Unfortunately I am familiar with them - not fun...

India too. I know them well.