The best country in the world to live

[Yamano667]

According to the United Nations Economic Council the best country in the world to live are

1.Norway
2.Sweeden
3.Australia
4.Canada
and the United States is in the 8th place

Japan is like in 18th place .. Anyway whats your opinion?!

[dreamless]

the best place in the world to live? my home

[Scrumhalf]

Melbourne, Australia.

The most livable place on the planet.

[Sephon]

Yeah, Sweden's a good place to live.
Damn Norway with their oil though, the salaries are like the double from sweden, but so are the prices.
So the best place to live is probably inside Sweden close to the border to Norway, so you live in Sweden but work in Norway.

A lot of people do that already, I wish I was one of them.

[Roots]

Could you post a source to this document?

I'm curious as to what Switzerland ranked. I spent some time there with my dad who used to live there and I liked it a lot. I've also stayed with my dad in Canada for a few months over a span on 2-3 years and I really loved it there as well.

I have a bad feeling this will quickly become a flame war, though I hope that's not the case.

Spoiler:

If it does it will be the overly proud Americans on the board that bring it down.

[phoenixfire92983]

I would have to say the U.S. cause they have Hawaii Actually any countries with tropical paradises, beautiful oceans, and nice breezes have got to be the best hehe.

I'm kinda curious why Norway and Swedon are the top 2 though *no offense*...i just would never have guessed those two. How did they rate it? By economics? Environment? Something else?

[Zapaan]

I'd just like to bear my Canuckian pride for a moment

That is all.

These aren't the droids you're looking for. Move along.

- Z

[AG3]

Originally Posted by Sephon

Yeah, Sweden's a good place to live.
Damn Norway with their oil though, the salaries are like the double from sweden, but so are the prices.
So the best place to live is probably inside Sweden close to the border to Norway, so you live in Sweden but work in Norway.

A lot of people do that already, I wish I was one of them.

Yeah, high salaries, but high prices on a lot of things . With a 24% sales tax on most goods and services, most of it doesn't come cheap. Electronic goods are fairly cheap, but necessities tend to be expensive. For a 70 square metres apartment, we pay 800 dollars in rent per month. There are cheaper alternatives, though they have an up-front cost you need to pay, though you get the money back (often more than you paid yourself) if you later sell it to someone else. After my grandma died, we sold her 30 square metre aparment for somewhere between 60.000-70.000 US Dollars (don't remember the exact sum).

And please don't talk about that bloody oil. Most of the cash is put away in investments, while hospitals, schools and roads deterioate. Sweden has a far better road system than Norway does, and their schools are the envy of a lot of Norwegian students (the meal system, for instance). Most people who remember far back thinks Norway was better before we got the oil. Sure, luxuries are cheaper now, but schools and hospitals were better before. Oil money doesn't do you any good if the people in charge "can't" use it.

And our salaries are a double-edged sword. Higher salaries means higher prices on goods and services, which is part of the reason why our public services have deterioated in later years. With the increased cost of these services, the government has a had time financing it without using the oil money (which they don't really want to due to the risk of inflation, they say). Thus schools and hospitals are often run at a minimum budget. Granted, hospitals get the better deal though, since they can actually spend more than their budget, which schools can't.

I am assuming the topic creator is referring to the United Nations HDI rating (Human Development Index). It's meant to illustrate the quality of life more accurately than GNP, which can be high even if the people in a country aren't benefiting from the money. Sweden, for instance, were ranked 17th on the GNP chart for 2000, but 2nd on the HDI chart. HDI looks at education levels, average life span, degree of illiteracy and the GNP.

As you can see, Norway IS a good country to live in. I'm not bitching about how lousy my living conditions are. But like most countries, we have politicians who just can't seem to fathom why it's more important to invest in schools than build that new 1 billion kroner ($150 million US) Opera down in Oslo....

*Edit*
By the way, in 2000 the USA was ranked 6th in HDI and 2nd in GNP (I'd bet Bill Gates pulled them up a few places ). They've dropped two places in HDI now.

[HoboGod]

legal marijuana in Amsterdam, Netherlands. i'd say there. i don't smoke it, but the effects of it cause lower sperm count, paranoia, and overall calmness. It seems like a quiet place with very few children and/or random strangers wanting to bug me. ^_^

but, i'm not one to actually say what is the best because i've only lived here in the U.S. I'm not one to travel much, and i don't ussually associate myself with people that can't find peace in where they are.

[msgpoisoning]

The U.S., we have the world's strongest military.

[DarkCntry]

Originally Posted by Roots

Could you post a source to this document?

I'm curious as to what Switzerland ranked. I spent some time there with my dad who used to live there and I liked it a lot. I've also stayed with my dad in Canada for a few months over a span on 2-3 years and I really loved it there as well.

I have a bad feeling this will quickly become a flame war, though I hope that's not the case.

Spoiler:

If it does it will be the overly proud Americans on the board that bring it down.

*slaps Roots around*

Nothing wrong with being overly proud

Besides, I still think the US is one of the better places to live on basis of access to information and other luxuries. I'm not overly fond of Eastern Canadians, especially those from Quebec who decidedly take their vacations down here in Florida as they consider themselves better than all others, but I do like a lot of what I have experienced in Western Canada, especially the Vancouver area. So I'm pretty mixed on this, there's pros and cons that I like of a lot/hate of different countries, but since I live in the US and only visit other places I cannot actually say who ranks 'better'.

Anyways I do, however, agree with Roots with the comment of this will probably degrade into a flame war at a point, but I felt I might as well give my reply

[Roots]

Originally Posted by HoboGod

legal marijuana in Amsterdam, Netherlands. i'd say there. i don't smoke it, but the effects of it cause lower sperm count, paranoia, and overall calmness. It seems like a quiet place with very few children and/or random strangers wanting to bug me. ^_^

I've been to Amsterdam. It indeed is a very peaceful, calm place. I went there when I was only 14 though so I couldn't appreciate it as much as I think I could now.

[Secca]

Originally Posted by Roots

I've been to Amsterdam. It indeed is a very peaceful, calm place. I went there when I was only 14 though so I couldn't appreciate it as much as I think I could now.

I understand that feeling too. ^^

I remember when I was 9 my mom took me on vaction trip to New Zealand. It was freaking beautiful there, they have lambs, rivers that's really clean that has fish that you can see from the surface, beautiful mountains.

But I was only 9 years old back then and I find that place is so boring, no kids to play with or entertainments to watch.

But now it feel sucha apealing place to live.

[RichMan]

The U.S. definitely is the best country to live in.

[Late]

Bah, Finland should be first.

[kamij0]

Originally Posted by Secca

I understand that feeling too. ^^

I remember when I was 9 my mom took me on vaction trip to New Zealand. It was freaking beautiful there, they have lambs, rivers that's really clean that has fish that you can see from the surface, beautiful mountains.

But I was only 9 years old back then and I find that place is so boring, no kids to play with or entertainments to watch.

But now it feel sucha apealing place to live.

Seen LOTR ? thats where all the scenes are from, defintely a beautiful place, dont mind considering a move to there if you're stressed.

Singapore is a nice place to live in too. Anyone agree ?

[Ending]

Bah, Finland should be first

Hehe, I just bet that it irks a bit -Sweden getting the second place when even the taxes are HIGHER than here. Relative, I guess; how you define what is a good place to live

[Jonte]

2.Sweden (btw, its one 'E')

Seams Im living in the right place. Personally though, Id like to try Japan or Canada. Atleast take a few weeks semester and see what its like. Ive been to Canada, its nice

And about tropical paradises, I wouldnt really want to live in a hut without water n electicity (ok ok there are paredises with these but then they are swaped with tourists). Thats what your vacations are for! ^^

[Sun_Tze]

Errr... Richman, mind saying more of why you like US to live?

For me it is Portugal, because we have several types of environment packed in such small place (come on... in which country can you go from mountains to a huge plain in less that 1000 miles?), we have great weather, we have two paradises on earth (Madeira and Azores ), etc.

A country i wouldn't mind to live was a Scandinavian country... except i doubt i would live with cold most of the year

[wao]

Originally Posted by kamij0

Seen LOTR ? thats where all the scenes are from, defintely a beautiful place, dont mind considering a move to there if you're stressed.

Singapore is a nice place to live in too. Anyone agree ?

It certainly depends... SIngapore is really quite a safe place, and generally has a high enough standard of living. Despite what everyone whinges about the government being overly controlling (Well, I have to say their attitude towards putting out policies for everything is a bit... er... um... not agreeable with me, especially the way they try to make people have children. >_>), at least it does its job(Try going to Sri Lanka some day.).

The social culture of Singapore isn't necessarily good and pleasant compared to other countries, what with a high sense of competetiveness and many people being more money-oriented than anything else. BEing a small country there isn't much nature but the country is clean, and well-maintained in general. I personally think it's very well organised...

There may not be loads of things to do but it's very well connected; there's lots of shopping to be done as many goods come this way (many people also stop this way and can pick up various things...). Electronical appliances are pretty affordable and the price of living may be somewhat high but salaries seem to go along with it (There isn't that much poverty in Singapore, people are educated, etc...)

I think it's a good enough place to live - the people are civil enough and as for the kiasuism you find around the place, you usually get used to it and just let it be... and if you've been to more dangerous places you might really appreciate the safeness of the place.

Though standard of living and gdp may not be the only way to gauge a country, of course. I remember reading somewhere else about a study done about countries' "National Happiness Level" - don't need to be rich to be happy.... Now which country was it that came in tops? I can't remember, I read this short article quite some time ago. I think it was Bangladesh or Burma... or something.