Countries with Highest Standard of Living

I just googled some info about countries with the highest standard of living and found this list of the top ten. (However, this is for the years 2003-2004). Thought it would be interesting to share it with you.

World Top 10 - Countries with Highest
Standard of Living

Country

1. Norway
2. Sweden
3. Canada
4. Belgium
5. Australia
6. United States
7. Iceland
8. Netherlands
9. Japan
10. Finland

Anything surprise you? I was surprised that the US only ranks 6th!! I knew we weren't #1 on standard of living, but I thought we were at least in the top five!!

As with many things it depends on the criteria used. What surprises me about that list is that the UK doesn't appear in it.

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Actually, that doesn't surprise me, goodfielder!! But what happened to Switzerland? I always thought they were in the top five!!

What happened to you Switzerland?

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Wonder what they may have in common.

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Norway here I come.Hows the weather?

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Haha, coming from southern California, you'd never
make it in Norway Amigo.

I'm missing Germany as well, but then again, their
economy has suffered quite tremendously in the past
years, cutting down on the standard of living.

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Actually, I've travelled to Sweden, so I was aware that they generally have a pretty high standard of living there. Didn't know things were so good in Norway, though. Boy, those Scandinavians must be doing something right!

I'd also heard that Finland and Iceland have a pretty good standard of living too.

But how did those saucy Aussies manage to bump us down to sixth place? What's up with that? How dare you, you saucy Aussies!!

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I keep hearing that.I almost killed myself in seatle.I'll start unpacking....Hey wait australia here I come

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They must have been using the "beer drinking index" for us to get in there Very Happy

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Amigo wrote:

I keep hearing that.I almost killed myself in seatle.I'll start unpacking....Hey wait australia here I come

It's winter in the temperate areas here - 1.5c this morning when I lurched out of bed. But in Darwin (in the tropical north) it was 22c at the same time Cool

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Whats that in farinhiet

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35f and 72f

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No problem

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god i must buy a home in norway

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Re: Countries with Highest Standard of Living

Stray Cat wrote:

I just googled some info about countries with the highest standard of living and found this list of the top ten. (However, this is for the years 2003-2004). Thought it would be interesting to share it with you.

World Top 10 - Countries with Highest
Standard of Living

Country

1. Norway
2. Sweden
3. Canada
4. Belgium
5. Australia
6. United States
7. Iceland
8. Netherlands
9. Japan
10. Finland

Anything surprise you? I was surprised that the US only ranks 6th!! I knew we weren't #1 on standard of living, but I thought we were at least in the top five!!

I suspect that this index is based on average earnings. I know one thing: in Oz more people are are now in the "higher" bracket than say, 10 years ago. But an awfully large number (including the so-called middle class) are now struggling to make ends meet & often very much in the throes of credit debt. These sorts of statistics can be very misleading unless you look at the how folk on all levels of income are actually coping financially.

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Re: Countries with Highest Standard of Living

Stray Cat wrote:

Anything surprise you? I was surprised that the US only ranks 6th!! I knew we weren't #1 on standard of living, but I thought we were at least in the top five!!

Yes -- I am surprised by the fact that the site where I think you found this doesn't mention any source for its ranking, and does not say how it measured the standard of living. For all we know, they just made up their data.

The data looks vaguely, but not quite like the ranking from the UN's Human Developement Reports of 2003 (PDF)and 2004 (PDF). The Human Development Index (HDI) is measured as a function of per-capita income, life expectancy at birth, school enrolment, and adult literacy. Wikipedia describes the calculation in more detail. The most current edition was published in 2005 (PDF). Various non-profits, both partisan and genuinely philanthropic, have spun out variations of this index; but to my knowledge the HDI is the most respected one.

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Lash wrote:

Wonder what they may have in common.

The UK and Switzerland?

We both have lots of cows, churches, gruel as our only affordable food and a passion for lederhosen in the bedroom.

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when i was 14 i went to india - there were cows all over the road

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Walking about a bit, or just lying there, looking a bit splattered?

Welcome to A2K by the way, Prince El.

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thanks

they were actually resting in the middle of the road, not only cows there were pigs, dogs ...kinda wild life sanctuary....though still its a great country.
that city is my ancestral city- other cities are better

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