Special Report

25 Best Countries to Live in the World

Thomas C. Frohlich, Michael B. Sauter, Evan Comen, Sam Stebbins

Published: December 21, 2015 12:15 pm

Last Updated: January 13, 2020 3:51 pm

The development of a nation is often conflated with economic growth. However, while economic strength is certainly a country’s means of development, is it what ultimately determines how developed that country is? According to the United Nations’ Human Development Index (HDI), other factors such as human freedom should be the key in quantifying and evaluating development.

Based on the 2015 HDI, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the most and least livable countries. Data from the Index is based on three dimensions of human progress: longevity, education, and financial stability. As was the case last year, Norway is the most livable country in the world, while Niger is the least livable.

A decent income can have a tremendous impact on standard of living. Healthy food, access to exercise facilities, insurance, and the education necessary to increase one’s position in life all have monetary costs. The U.N. used gross national income in its calculation of the HDI 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 have among the top 30 gross national incomes per person. The top rated country, Norway, has the world’s sixth highest gross national income per capita of $63,909.

Click here to see the 25 most livable countries in the world.

Click here to see the 25 least livable countries in the world.

At the other end of the spectrum, the world’s least developed countries typically have very low incomes. Six of these 10 least livable nations are among the bottom 10 countries by gross national income per capita. The Central African Republic, which has the lowest gross national income per capita in the world at just $581, is the second least developed country worldwide. Niger, the least developed nation in the HDI, has gross income per capita of $908.

In the countries at the top of the HDI, large shares of the labor force are employed in relatively high-paying service sector jobs. In countries at the other end of the HDI, the vast majority of which are in Sub-Saharan Africa, the agriculture sector employees the bulk, if not the majority, of the labor force. According to the World Bank, agriculture employs 65% of Africa’s labor force, and accounts for nearly one-third of economic output from the continent.

While low-paying agricultural jobs largely explain the relatively low incomes in countries at the bottom of the HDI, the agriculture sector is still essential to the development of these nations. Ethiopia’s economy, for example, grew rapidly last year, and the country is one of the most dependent on the agriculture sector.

Education is not only the basis of economic prosperity, but also a key feature of personal fulfillment. Compared to emerging nations and other countries at the bottom of the HDI’s ranking, residents of the most livable countries tend to spend many more years in school. Germans, Brits, and Canadians spend around 13 years getting an education, on average, the most years of any country in the world. By contrast, residents of every country in Sub-Saharan Africa spend no more than six years in school on average. In Burkina Faso, Niger, and Chad, the typical resident spends less than two years in school.

Life expectancies, another factor considered in the Human Development Index, are also far higher in advanced economies. Japan, Singapore, and Switzerland, for example, each report life expectancies at birth of at least 83 years. By this metric, the United States is a relative laggard. The mean life expectancy at birth in the United States of 79.1 years is ranked just 36th worldwide.

Individuals born in the U.S. are still expected to live as many as two decades longer than babies born in many of the Sub-Saharan African nations at the other end of the HDI.

High fertility rates are also common in the 25 least developed nations. In all but one of these countries, women give birth at least three times over the course of their lives. In Burundi, Chad, and Nigeria, the fertility rate is over six births per woman. By contrast, in all of the 25 most developed nations, each woman gives birth fewer than two times on average. According to the UN, such high fertility rates are unsustainable not just because it presents barriers to lowering poverty, but also because a high, unstable birth rate will decrease the number of working-age individuals per capita.

To identify the most (and least) livable countries in the world, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed social and economic data covering 188 countries. All data was provided in the United Nations Development Programme’s Human Development Index, a report released annually for the past 25 years. Life expectancy at birth is provided by the UN Population Division in the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA); mean years of schooling are based on UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) educational attainment data and, for some countries, Barro and Lee (2013) methodology where UIS data are not available; expected years of schooling is provided by UIS; and GNI per capita (in 2011 $PPP) by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. For several countries, mean years of schooling is estimated from nationally representative household surveys and for some countries GNI was obtained from the UN Statistical Division’s database – National Accounts Main Aggregates Database.

These are the world’s 25 most livable countries.

25. Slovenia
> Population: 2.1 million
> GNI per capita: $27,852
> Life expectancy at birth: 80.4 years
> Pct. of pop. with at least some high school: 96.9%

A small Central European country, Slovenia gained independence in 1991 and today has the highest HDI score of any former Yugoslav nation. Slovenia’s education system is one of its major strengths. A typical Slovenian child is likely to spend nearly 17 years getting an education, one of the highest expected years of schooling in the world. A number of these years are spent in college, as an estimated 86% of college-age Slovenians pursue higher education after graduating from a secondary institution — the seventh highest tertiary enrollment ratio of any country. The country’s education system seems to be paying off. Slovenia’s 99.7% adult literacy rate is significantly higher than the global literacy rate of 81.2%.

Unlike many other European nations, especially the countries on the higher end of this list, Slovenia is not especially wealthy. With a GDP per capita of $27,576, Slovenia is the least wealthy of the 25 most livable countries.

24. Finland
> Population: 5.4 million
> GNI per capita: $38,695
> Life expectancy at birth: 80.8 years
> Pct. of pop. with at least some high school: 100.0 %

Like the rest of Scandinavian countries, Finland is one of the world’s most livable countries. Finland’s entire adult population has at least some secondary school education. In only three other nations this is also the case. To compare, among OECD nations, just 84.5% of the adult population has received at least some secondary schooling.

As in other Nordic countries, there is relative equality among Finland’s citizens. The richest fifth of Finnish residents earn just four times as much than the poorest fifth, the 10th lowest ratio in the world.

23. Austria
> Population: 8.5 million
> GNI per capita: $43,869
> Life expectancy at birth: 81.4 years
> Pct. of pop. with at least some high school: 99.9%

Austria is one of just four countries whose entire adult population has gone to secondary school. An individual born in the country is expected to receive about 16 years of schooling, in line with other OECD nations.

Some aspects of a country’s health system disproportionately impact women and the quality of these institutions is essential to a nation’s human development. Austria’s reproductive health is among the best on the planet. For every 100,000 live births in Austria, just four mothers die, tying a handful of other European nations as the fourth lowest maternal death rate worldwide. By contrast, the maternal mortality rate in the United States is 28 per 100,000 live births.

22. France
> Population: 64.6 million
> GNI per capita: $38,056
> Life expectancy at birth: 82.2 years
> Pct. of pop. with at least some high school: 80.5%

France, the world’s most popular tourist destination, is also one of the most livable. France’s GNI per capita of $38,056 is roughly in line with the average GNI per capita of OECD nations of $37,658.

Like in many of Europe’s wealthier nations, French citizens enjoy relatively good health outcomes. The life expectancy at birth of 82.2 years is the 10th highest in world. Similarly, the infant mortality rate of 3.5 deaths per 1,000 births is among the lowest of any country and far lower than the global infant mortality rate of 33.6 deaths per 1,000 births.

21. Belgium
> Population: 11.1 million
> GNI per capita: $41,187
> Life expectancy at birth: 80.8 years
> Pct. of pop. with at least some high school: 80.1%

As in most wealthy European nations, Belgians live relatively long lives, are well educated, and earn wages that on the whole support a reasonably good standard of living. At nearly 81 years, the typical Belgian born today can expect to live longer than most countries’ residents, including the United States. Also, more than two in five country residents have at least some secondary education, one of the highest such shares among OECD nations. While Belgium is by no means the wealthiest in the world, its GNI per capita of $41,187 is still one of the highest in the world, and higher even than most OECD nations.

20. Japan
> Population: 127.0 million
> GNI per capita: $36,927
> Life expectancy at birth: 83.5 years
> Pct. of pop. with at least some high school: 86.4%

The median age in Japan is 46.5 years, and the life expectancy at birth is 83.5 years, each the highest in the world. While longevity is a consequence of overall good health and economic prosperity, it is also relatively burdensome on the country’s social security system. Japan has the highest old age dependency ratio of countries reviewed, which at 43.6 elderly Japanese people per 100 working-age adults, means that income earned by more than five working age residents is equal to the cost of supporting two elderly residents. While the Japanese school system ranked only moderately well on the Human Development Index, teenage Japanese students fare better on standardized tests than their peers in the vast majority of countries.

19. Luxembourg
> Population: 536,761
> GNI per capita: $58,711
> Life expectancy at birth: 81.7 years
> Pct. of pop. with at least some high school: 99.9%

With a GNI per capita of $58,711, Luxembourg citizens earn the eighth highest incomes in the world. The small, landlocked country is highly dependent on foreign trade, and the combined value of its exports and imports is about 3.7 times Luxembourg’s $47.7 billion GDP. By this measure, the country is more trade dependent than nearly every other nation in the world.

The nation’s wealth allows its citizens to enjoy a high standard of living. Luxembourg is one of just four nations where the entire adult population has completed at least some secondary schooling. Also, the typical Luxembourg resident can expect to live to be nearly 82 years old, one of the highest life expectancies at birth worldwide.

Since its founding in 1948, Israel has been in a nearly constant armed conflict with its Arab neighbors. Nevertheless, the Mediterranean country has been able to establish itself as one of the world’s most liveable countries by the standards of the Human Development Index. Reproductive health in the nation is particularly notable. Two women die for every 100,000 live births, the lowest maternal mortality rate of any country other than Belarus. The teen birth rate is similarly low, with just 7.8 births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 19. To compare, there are 25.4 births per 1,000 teen women across all OECD nations.

While women in the country fare better than many women around the world, there is a relative lack of female participation in the Israeli workforce. Largely as a result, Israel has the highest income inequality of any of the 25 most livable countries. With the wealthiest fifth of Israelis making more than 10 times the income of the poorest fifth, income in Israel is more unevenly distributed than in most advanced economies.

17. Republic of Korea
> Population: 49.5 million
> GNI per capita: $33,890
> Life expectancy at birth: 81.9 years
> Pct. of pop. with at least some high school: 82.9%

The Republic of Korea, also known as South Korea, is one of the most affluent nations in the world. The small Asian country has also been technically at war for over half a century, as a formal peace agreement was never reached after the Korean War ended in 1953. Partially as a result, South Korea is one of a few advanced nations with military conscription — service is mandatory for all men in the country.

South Korea spends around 4.9% of its GDP on education each year, higher than most nations, but one of the lower allocations compared with other countries at the upper end of the HDI ranking. Despite the low education spending, South Korean teenage students fare better on reading, math, and science exams than their peers in all but a handful of other countries.

16. Iceland
> Population: 333,135
> GNI per capita: $35,182
> Life expectancy at birth: 82.6 years
> Pct. of pop. with at least some high school: 91.3%

Education is not just the foundation of economic prosperity, but also a key element of personal fulfillment. The ability to acquire knowledge is one of the basic dimensions of human development, according to the report. The typical Icelander will spend 19 years in school, the third highest number of years of expected schooling in the world. The small North Atlantic nation also has a relatively just society, as measured by relatively even income distribution and relative gender equality. Iceland’s Gini coefficient is one of the lowest in the world, and considerably lower than that of the United States. Also, more than two in five seats in Iceland’s parliament are held by women, one of the highest such proportions.

15. United Kingdom
> Population: 63.5 million
> GNI per capita: $39,267
> Life expectancy at birth: 80.7 years
> Pct. of pop. with at least some high school: 99.9%

The United Kingdom is one of the largest and oldest economies in the world. With a GDP of $2.4 trillion, the UK is the ninth largest economy in the world. Britain was the first industrialized nation. Since then, like other advanced post-industrial economies, it has transitioned to a largely service-based economy. Roughly 80% of the country’s workforce is employed in the service sector, in jobs from retail to nursing to tax preparation. Such jobs typically require more education and pay far higher wages compared to jobs more common in emerging markets — in the agriculture sector, for example. The higher incomes, as well as perhaps the less physically strenuous labor associated with the service sector, also contribute to longer lives. A typical British resident can expect to live around 81 years, one of the higher life expectancies at birth worldwide.

14. Sweden
> Population: 9.6 million
> GNI per capita: $45,636
> Life expectancy at birth: 82.2 years
> Pct. of pop. with at least some high school: 86.9%

Nations with a greater degree of gender equality are likely to have a better quality of life, not just for the country’s female occupants but for the population as a whole. Based on access to government positions, Sweden is one of the more gender-equal nations, with women holding 43.6% of seats. In the vast majority of nations reviewed, including the United States, women hold less than one in four seats in the legislature. The country’s gender equality also manifests in its policies. For example, the country has had gender-neutral parental leave for decades. In order to encourage fathers to use it as well, the country began offering financial incentives to take the leave. Sweden also has one of the smallest gender wage gaps in the world.

Also, like other Nordic nations, the life expectancy at birth in Sweden is one of the longest in the world. An individual born in the country can expect to live more than 82 years.

13. Liechtenstein
> Population: 37,194
> GNI per capita: $79,851
> Life expectancy at birth: 80.0 years
> Pct. of pop. with at least some high school: N/A

Landlocked between Switzerland and Austria, Liechtenstein is a principality of only 62 square miles, slightly smaller than Washington D.C. Liechtenstein’s 37,194 residents live in one of the most hospitable places in the world.

Life expectancy at birth in Liechtenstein is 80 years, one of the highest in the world. Area residents are also among the world’s wealthiest. Income per capita is equal to roughly $79,851, the highest of countries reviewed after only Qatar and Kuwait. While the 15 years of expected schooling lags behind 23 of the 25 most livable countries, students in Liechtenstein perform among the top 10 countries in the world in reading, math and science.

12. Hong Kong, China (SAR)
> Population: 7.3 million
> GNI per capita: $53,959
> Life expectancy at birth: 84.0 years
> Pct. of pop. with at least some high school: 75.4%

Nestled in the southern tip of China, Hong Kong has established itself as a major service economy over the past few decades, specializing in trade and international finance. The share of Hong Kong’s workforce employed in the services industry grew from 62.4% in 1990 to 87.7% in 2012, the largest such share of any country at that time. The Port of Hong Kong is one of the busiest in the world, and the Special Administrative Region trades more as a percentage of its GDP than any other nation in the world, by far.

Residents of Hong Kong enjoy one of the highest standards of living in the world. The life expectancy at birth, 84 years, is the longest on the planet. Despite modest public education expenditures, the country’s students are also well educated. On an international aptitude test, Hong Kong’s students performed the second best of any nation in reading and science, and the third best in mathematics.

11. Singapore
> Population: 5.5 million
> GNI per capita: $76,628
> Life expectancy at birth: 83.0 years
> Pct. of pop. with at least some high school: 77.4%

Singapore is one of only three non-OECD nations in the top 25 countries for human development. Also, the country’s improvement from 38th in 1990 to 11th this year is the fifth most dramatic improvement of countries reviewed over that period. The small island nation held its first presidential election in 1993, just three years after the HDI’s inception. Today, Singapore is an extremely wealthy country, with each resident earning $76,628 on average annually — the fourth highest GNI per capita worldwide. Singapore spends relatively little as a percentage of its GDP on education — just 2.9%. Yet, teenage students in Singapore perform better than the vast majority of students in other nations on international standardized tests.

10. New Zealand
> Population: 4.6 million
> GNI per capita: $32,689
> Life expectancy at birth: 81.8 years
> Pct. of pop. with at least some high school: 95.2%

New Zealand’s economy is more agriculturally-based than most advanced nations. The 6.6% of New Zealand’s workforce employed in agriculture is a larger share than in each of the 25 most livable countries except for South Korea and Slovenia. Although New Zealand’s income per capita of $32,689 is lower than the average GNI per capita of $37,658 across all OECD nations, its residents still enjoy one of the highest standards of living on the globe.

The average New Zealand adult spends 12.5 years in school, the 10th most of any country. If current enrollment trends continue, young New Zealanders can expect to receive about 19 years of schooling, more years of expected schooling than in any nation other than Australia.

9. Canada
> Population: 35.5 million
> GNI per capita: $42,155
> Life expectancy at birth: 82.0 years
> Pct. of pop. with at least some high school: 99.9%

Canada has one of the better-educated populations in the world. Nearly all adult citizens — 99.9% of residents 25 and over — have a at least some secondary education. The nation’s students also score among the best in the world on standardized math, science and reading exams for 15 year olds. The United States often compares its own health care system to Canada’s public system. Based on life expectancy at birth, it appears that Canadians are healthier on average than citizens of most other countries. Also, just 81 males and 51 females out of every 1,000 people are not expected to live past 60 years in Canada, one of the lowest adult mortality rates among nations reviewed by the HDI.

8. United States
> Population: 322.6 million
> GNI per capita: $52,947
> Life expectancy at birth: 79.1 years
> Pct. of pop. with at least some high school: 95.0%

With a GDP of $16.2 trillion, the U.S. economy is the largest in the world. Workers in the United States are also among the world’s most productive. On average, each U.S. worker contributes $91,710 to the economy, third in the OECD after only Luxembourg and Norway.

Younger American students lag behind many of their peers abroad. U.S. students rank 22nd in the world in reading performance, 34th in math, and 26th in science. One potential explanation for the relatively poor academic performance may be a lack of investment in education. The United States spends only 5.2% of its GDP on education, a lower expenditure than most OECD nations. However, based on the tertiary enrollment rate, Americans are more likely to pursue higher education than residents of every other country except for Greece and South Korea.

7. Ireland
> Population: 4.7 million
> GNI per capita: $39,568
> Life expectancy at birth: 80.9 years
> Pct. of pop. with at least some high school: 79.6%

Like in many of Western Europe’s wealthier nations, Ireland has relatively strong medical institutions and its residents are healthy. Just 3.2 out of every 1,000 newborns die before age 1, for example, almost half the infant mortality rate of 6.48 deaths per 1,000 newborns across all OECD nations. Similarly, just 82 males and 49 females per 1,000 Irish residents die before the age of 60, each significantly less than the OECD male and female mortality rates of 60.5 and 112.5, respectively.

Ireland residents spend 12.2 years in school on average, one of the higher mean years of schooling in the world. If current enrollment trends continue, Irish children can expect to receive an average of 18.6 years of education, the fifth most of countries reviewed.

6. Germany
> Population: 82.7 million
> GNI per capita: $43,919
> Life expectancy at birth: 80.9 years
> Pct. of pop. with at least some high school: 96.6%

The 1990 Human Development Report ranked Germany as the 12th most livable country. The 2015 report ranks Germany sixth in the world for the third consecutive year. The Western European nation does especially well in educational measures. The average number of years of schooling among German citizens is 13.1, higher than in every other country reviewed. German students also rank among the top 20 countries in the world in reading, math, and science. Germany, which is one of a minority of countries with a female head of state, is ahead of most countries in gender equality. Roughly 36.9% of parliament seats are held by women, a larger share than in all but 21 other countries.

Germany is also a relatively safe country. With fewer than 1 homicide for every 100,000 residents reported each year, it has one of the lowest murder rates of the 188 countries examined. By contrast, it is significantly lower than the 4.7 homicides for every 100,000 U.S. residents annually.

5. Netherlands
> Population: 16.8 million
> GNI per capita: $45,435
> Life expectancy at birth: 81.6 years
> Pct. of pop. with at least some high school: 89.0%

The Netherlands, like many other Western European nations, has a high life expectancy and a strong education system. The Netherlands spends 12.9% of its $755.3 billion GDP on public health, a higher share than any country other than the United States. Partially as a result, Dutch citizens have remarkably good health outcomes. The Netherlands’ infant mortality rate of 3.3 deaths per 1,000 newborns is almost half of the infant mortality rate across OECD nations. Similarly, the country’s 81.6 year life expectancy at birth is among the highest worldwide.

A higher share of Dutch children are enrolled in secondary school than in all but two other countries. If current enrollment patterns continue, a Dutch child can expect to receive about 18 years of schooling, the seventh highest of any nation.

4. Denmark
> Population: 5.6 million
> GNI per capita: $44,025
> Life expectancy at birth: 80.2 years
> Pct. of pop. with at least some high school: 96.1%

High public spending on education helps Danish citizens enjoy one of the highest standards of living in the world. Denmark spends 8.8% of its $235.7 billion GDP on public education, compared to the average OECD expenditure 5.1%. Partially as a result, Denmark has a higher share of students enrolled in secondary school than in all but three other countries. If current enrollment patterns continue, Dutch children can expect to receive 18.7 years of education, a longer period than in all but three other countries.

Compared to most advanced economies, Denmark is relatively safe. There is less than one homicide per 100,000 Danes, much less than the 4 murders per 100,000 persons across all OECD nations.

Switzerland is home to one of the healthiest populations in the world. Life expectancy at birth in the nation is 83 years, higher than in all but three other countries. A long life expectancy may be attributable to higher than average investment in public health. Switzerland spends 11.5% of its total GDP on public health, one of the largest shares in the world. Switzerland is also a relatively safe country. With roughly 0.6 homicides for every 100,000 residents, the country’s murder rate is one of the lowest of countries reviewed.

Along with health and safety, the Swiss also do well by several education-related measures. The country’s schools are proving effective as Swiss students rank seventh in the world in mathematics. They also rank among the 20 top in reading and science.

2. Australia
> Population: 23.6 million
> GNI per capita: $42,261
> Life expectancy at birth: 82.4 years
> Pct. of pop. with at least some high school: 94.4%

By international standards of wealth, health, and education, Australia is the second most livable country. Australia currently has the highest share of children enrolled in secondary school of any nation. Australian children are expected to spend over two decades getting an education in their lifetimes, the highest years of expected schooling worldwide.

Relatively few adults in Australia die prematurely. Just 45 females and 78 males for every 1,000 Australians die before reaching the age of 60, much lower than the adult mortality rates of 61 females and 113 males for every 1,000 people who die prematurely across all OECD nations. At the age of 60, the average Australian can expect to live for about 25 more years, the third highest old-age life expectancy on the planet.

1. Norway
> Population: 5.1 million
> GNI per capita: $64,992
> Life expectancy at birth: 81.6 years
> Pct. of pop. with at least some high school: 97.1%

While each of the Scandinavian nations has historically done very well in the HDI, Norway has ranked first in each of the last five years of the report’s release. Like most other nations with a high quality of life, Norway’s population tends to be very wealthy. The country’s GNI per capita of $64,992 is among the highest in the world. It is also more than $12,000 per person higher than the U.S. GNI per capita. Like its Scandinavian neighbors, wealth and other aspects, such as employment and political power, are relatively evenly distributed throughout the population based on gender. The country ranks as one of the best of countries reviewed in the HDI gender equality index.

Click here to see the 25 least livable countries in the world.