International Living Study Says France Has the World's Highest Quality of Life

[Joanne98]

Tres Bon: International Living Study Says France Has the World's Highest Quality of Life
Iraq remains in last place in the comprehensive rankings
BALTIMORE, Jan. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- International Living magazine -- a leading resource for helping people live, travel, and prosper overseas -- has released its 26th Annual Quality of Life Index. According to IL's comprehensive analysis, France again offers the greatest Quality of Life of any country, while war-torn Iraq remains in last place.

Despite high taxes, bureaucracy, and a high cost of living, France returns after taking over the top position last year. Even the affordability drawback has its limits. Outside of Paris, the cost of living is significantly lower and livable homes are selling for less than $100,000. France benefited for its best-in-the-world health care system, legendary cultural amenities, and safety.

"France has a good climate, unspoiled countryside, and great health care. And its capital, Paris, is arguably the world's most beautiful and romantic city on earth," said Laura Sheridan, Managing Editor of International Living magazine, who conducted the study. "Add to all this the world-competitive infrastructure and you can understand why we'd name France the world's best place to live."

To produce the annual index, International Living considers nine categories: Cost of Living, Culture and Leisure, Economy, Environment, Freedom, Health, Infrastructure, Safety and Risk, and Climate. International Living uses statistics from a number of official government, non-profit, and media sources for much of the number crunching. IL also includes the input from International Living's extensive roster of correspondents from around the world. (You can find the complete list at http://www.qualityoflife2007.com )

The United States -- which had ranked at the top of the charts for an impressive 21 consecutive years until being dethroned in last year's survey -- regained its footing, and climbed back to the number 5 slot from number 7 in last year's survey. The United States' improvement was paced by a significant improvement in its Cost of Living score. The United States' fall in the rankings last year was due to a decline in its Freedom score. That score remains significantly lower than its peer countries at the top of the chart, and is one of the primary reasons it is not higher in the rankings.

Six of the top 10 positions in this year's survey were taken over by European countries. Argentina rose to number 10 in the rankings. Many of the countries that showed the greatest increase from the 2006 International Living study were from Latin America.

International Living (http://www.internationalliving.com ) is a
publication founded in 1979 that helps people live out their dreams by
relocating and traveling overseas. International Living publishes a monthly
magazine and the free e-letter IL Postcards
(http://www.internationalliving.com/e-letter_signup3.html ) which is read by
more than 400,000 subscribers daily, as well as several other country-specific
e-letters. The company is headquartered in Waterford, Ireland, with offices in
Baltimore, Md., Panama City, Panama, and Paris and local offices in Mexico,
Nicaragua, Argentina, Honduras, and Ecuador. International Living has more
than 200 correspondents traveling the globe, covering such varied topics as
purchasing Panama real estate
(http://www.internationalliving.com/panama/real-estate.html ), traveling to
Argentina (http://www.internationalliving.com/argentina/travel.html ),
retiring to Croatia (http://www.internationalliving.com/croatia/index.html ),
and investing in France
(http://www.internationalliving.com/france/investment.html ).

Contact: Daniel Lott, Web Marketing Director,
[e-mail], 410-895-7917.

International Living's 2007 Quality of Life Index Highlights:

Leaders

1. France
2. Australia
3. Netherlands
4. New Zealand
5. United States

Bottom Five

195. Iraq
194. Somalia
193. Yemen
192. Sudan
191. Afghanistan

Other Notables

8. Italy
11. Germany
22. Canada
25. Mexico
34. Panama
37. United Kingdom
108. Cuba
116. China
116. Russia

Other Highs and Lows

Lowest cost of living: Nauru (it's an island in the Pacific)
Best Infrastructure: United States
Most Corrupt: Haiti
Best for culture: Italy
Best climate: Zimbabwe
Best to register a new company: Australia
Longest life expectancy: Andorra

Fastest Risers

Dominican Republic Up 50 positions
El Salvador Up 49 positions
Vietnam Up 46 positions
Botswana Up 42 positions
Kuwait Up 42 positions
Costa Rica Up 38 positions

Falling Behind

Iran Down 43 positions
Russia Down 43 positions
Swaziland Down 43 positions
Papua New Guinea Down 38 positions
Israel Down 37 positions

International Living

Web site: http://www.internationalliving.com/
http://www.qualityoflife2007.com/

http://www.interestalert.com/story/01250000aaa002a1.prn/pkreysa/HONDURAS/honduras.html

[Joanne98]

1. The US fall in the rankings last year was due to a decline in it's FREEDOM score

The United States' fall in the rankings last year was due to a decline in its Freedom score. That score remains significantly lower than its peer countries at the top of the chart, and is one of the primary reasons it is not higher in the rankings. :)

[ComeAndTakeIt]

2. Well, DUH

But I am surprised we're in the top five, to be honest. Personally, I think most Western European countries are ahead of us. They don't worry themselves sick over getting sick, because they can go to the doctor. Etc.

[Joanne98]

3. Welcome to DU!

:)

[ComeAndTakeIt]

8. Thanks!

:hi:

[SanCristobal]

4. Freedom. You're supposed to say freedom.

[Mojambo]

5. Interesting that there's only a 3 spot difference between Canada and Mexico. n/t

[teryang]

9. interesting indeed

the mass migration of starving Mexicans and the open gang wars, political thuggery and murders in Mexico are in a class of their own.

[MrPrax]

10. That's nothing....

Here's the Top Ten...

France
Australia
Netherlands
New Zealand
United States
Switzerland
Denmark
Italy
Luxembourg
Argentina

(in order)

So Argentina is 12 steps ahead of Canada, but only 5 behind the US?

Noticeably absent are those perennial 'good' Scandinavian countries except for Denmark...which curiously this last year 'attacked' Ungdomshuset, which one would think would have cost it a few 'freedom' points -- not to mention the quality of life of it's cartoonists...

Funny didn't France have a little problem with 'safety' in Paris suburbs recently?...I thought I read that Spain was the fastest growing out of all of the EU countries at the moment....hmmm



MrPrax has read this survey over and has declared this; Bullshit

[alarimer]

6. But the US is so diverse, in terms of quality of life

There are some places where it is really great (Madison, WI and Portland, OR are always near the top of the lists) and some places where it really sucks. I wonder what effect that has on the rating. Plus, the whole health care thing must be a HUGE negative.

[indepat]

7. The USA, once the land of the free and home of the brave, has been bushwhacked into a budding

fascist theological totalitarian police state and is presently the home of tens of millions who love this type of state and will follow their dictator through the gates of hell and tens of millions who are either too timid, cowardly, or indifferent to let their elected congress critters know failure to uphold their oaths of office to protect, defend, and preserve the Constitution of the United States will not be tolerated.

[Joanne98]

11. kick