By contrast, some African countries like Somalia, Ethiopia, Burundi and others are burdened with poverty, hunger, disease and other afflictions that have made life for their people a living hell.
Over the last few years scholars, experts and economists have developed indicators and metrics to evaluate how well a country is doing in looking after its citizens. One such index has been developed by the influential US newspaper, US News and World Report, in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania and global brand consultants BAV Consulting, which ranks 60 countries in the Americas, Asia, Europe and Africa. According to the index, Germany is the best country in the world to live in, followed by Canada at number two, United Kingdom at three and United States at four. Compilers of the index say that the Best Countries portal is designed “to help citizens, business leaders and governments evaluate performance in a rapidly changing world.”
The 60 countries included in the index were chosen on the basis of business, economy and quality of life indicators. The report says that the individuals born in the U.S. are expected to live as many as two decades longer than babies born in many of the Sub-Saharan African nations. The United States is ranked first in power and influence, while Sweden captures the most top spots, ranking first for being the best country for citizenship, raising kids and green living. Other top ranking nations include Brazil for adventure, Luxembourg for opening a business, France for cultural influence, Germany for entrepreneurship, Canada for quality of life, Italy for heritage; and India for its up-and-coming economy. However, Germany has scored highest overall.
Another index has been compiled by 24/7 Wall St., a news organization, which has reviewed social and economic data covering 188 countries to identify the most (and least) livable countries in the world. Principally, 24/7 Wall St. derives its data from the United Nations Development Programme’s Human Development Index, UNESCO, World Bank and other national and international sources. 24/7 Wall St. evaluates its data on the basis of three dimensions of human progress: longevity, education, and financial stability. As per the index, Norway is the most livable country in the world, while Niger is the least livable.
The development of a nation is often equated with economic growth. However, while economic strength is certainly a country’s means of development, the UN HDI index identifies other factors such as human freedom as the key in quantifying and evaluating development. However, a decent income does have a tremendous impact on the standard of living. Healthy food, access to exercise facilities, insurance and education all have monetary costs. The U.N. uses 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.
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 labour 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 employs the bulk, if not the majority, of the labour force. According to the World Bank, agriculture employs 65% of Africa’s labour 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.
Pakistan scores a poor 56 in the Best Countries index. Pakistan is also one of the worst countries for young people under 25 to live in, according to the Youthonomics Global Index 2015, which presents data on 64 countries based on a wide range of indicators to assess how youth-friendly each country is. These indicators include optimism among the youth, health and educational opportunities and access to employment. The aim of this index is to provide information to the youth to make well-informed decisions about whether they should stay where they are or move elsewhere for a better future.
According to the this index, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands are the world’s youth-friendliest countries, whereas many young people face a lack of prospects in parts of Africa and Asia, including Russia, Egypt, Brazil, Kenya, Mali, South Africa and Pakistan. Not surprisingly, richer or economically expanding countries are the best places for young people. However, there are other factors that come into play as well. For instance, young Swedes are offered the opportunity to take a sabbatical year to explore different professions and countries. Moreover, Norway and Sweden mutualize unemployment data. If there is an unfilled job in Sweden, young Norwegians can be paid to move into their neighbouring country to fill that position.
Fast developing China has outranked many South American and European nations such as Spain, Croatia and Italy because of its efforts to alleviate poverty, and its willingness to invest in education. The index also shows that labour unions make a lot of difference as far as a country’s attractiveness is concerned. Austria is a prime example of this as both youth unemployment rates and poverty levels are low in this country.
The government leaders in Pakistan need to study these indexes in detail to find out what policy interventions are needed to improve Pakistan’s rankings in the health, education and other vital sectors of human development. Especially challenging is the country’s youth bulge which with appropriate policy measure can be harnessed to put the country on the road to rapid development.
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