From Huffington Post
24/7 Wall St. - By Alexander E.M. Hess &
Thomas C. Frohlich
Based on
the most recent release of the Human Development Index by the United Nations
Development Programme, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the most and least livable
countries. Data from the Human Development Index is based on three dimensions
of human progress — having a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable, and
having a good standard of living. According to the index, Norway is the most
livable country in the world, while Niger is the least livable.
One factor
that influences a country’s development is its income. The U.N. used gross
national income in its calculation of the Human Development Index to reflect
the standard of living in a country. In the most developed countries, gross
income per capita is generally quite high. All of the world’s 10 most livable
countries had among the top 30 gross national incomes per person. The top-rated
country, Norway, had the world’s sixth highest gross national income per capita
of $63,909.
At the
other end of the spectrum, the world’s least developed countries typically had
very low incomes. Six of these 10 least livable nations were among the bottom
10 countries by gross national income per capita. The Democratic Republic of
the Congo, which had the lowest gross national income per capita in the world,
at just $444 last year, was the second least developed country worldwide.
Similarly,
these countries also generally had extremely high percentage of their
populations living on just $1.25 a day or less, adjusted for purchasing power.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Burundi, more than 80% of the
population lived on less than $1.25 per day.
Life
expectancies, another factor considered in the Human Development Index, were
also far better in highly developed nations. Switzerland, Australia, and
Singapore were all among the top rated countries with life expectancies greater
than 82 years for individuals born in 2013. By this metric, the United States
is a relative laggard. The median life expectancy at birth in the U.S. of 78.9
years was ranked just 38th worldwide.
For
individuals born in the world’s least developed nations, the average life
expectancy was far lower. In all but one of these nations, a person born in
2013 had a life expectancy of less than 60 years. Sierra Leone, the
fifth-lowest ranked nation, had the worst life expectancy, at just 45.6 years.
Sadly,
among the factors contributing to these low life expectancies are, almost
certainly, high mortality rates for infants and young children. Sierra Leone,
which had the lowest life expectancy, also had the highest mortality rates for
infants and children under five, at 117 deaths and 182 deaths per 1,000 live
births.
Education
also plays a role in determining development. In all but one of the most
developed countries, residents aged 25 and older spent an average of more than
12 years in school. By contrast, in all of the world’s least developed countries,
adult residents had less than four years of education on average.
The most
and least developed nations also tend to be clustered geographically. Five of
the 10 most developed countries are located in Europe. All of the least
developed nations, on the other hand, are located in Africa, where political
turmoil, health crises, and lack of infrastructure are far more common.
Despite
their low scores, however, several of the world’s least developed nations have
worked towards improving their economies in recent years, and their Human
Development Index scores have improved as well. Mozambique is perhaps the best
example. While it is still the 10th lowest rated nation, its score had risen by
2.5% per year between 2000 and 2013, faster than almost all other countries
globally. Burundi’s score also rose substantially, by 2.3% per year in that
time.
To
identify the most and least developed nations, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the
latest Human Development Index figures published by the U.N. The index included
three dimensions made up of select metrics. The health dimension incorporated
life expectancy at birth. The education dimension was based on the average and
expected years of schooling, for adults 25 and older and newly-enrolled
children, respectively. The standard of living dimension was determined by
gross national income per capita. We also considered other statistics published
by the U.N. alongside the index, including inequality measures, mortality
measures, poverty rates, and expenditures on health and education as a percent
of gross domestic product (GDP). All data are for the most recent period
available.
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