Of course wide access to food and housing, quality education, health care and employment are imperatives to a good quality of life. But that apart, quality also includes intangible aspects such as job security, political stability, individual freedom and environmental quality.
World over scientists agree that material wealth is not the most important factor in assessing a life lived well. The results of the Quality of Life sub-ranking survey reflect that sensibility.
The 2021 Best Countries rankings, formed in partnership with BAV Group and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, are based on a study that surveyed more than 17,000 global citizens from four regions to assess perceptions of 78 countries on 76 different metrics.
The Quality of Life subranking is based on an equally weighted average of scores from nine country attributes that relate to quality of life in a country: affordable, a good job market, economically stable, family friendly, income equality, politically stable, safe, well-developed public education system and well-developed public health system. The Quality of Life subranking score had a 13.88% weight in the overall Best Countries ranking.
People consistently view a small group of nations as being best at providing for their citizens. For the sixth consecutive year, Canada ranks No. 1 overall for providing a good quality of life. Survey respondents rank the North American country as No. 1 for having a good job market, No. 2 for being politically stable and No. 3 for having a well-developed public education system, a perception supported by independent research. The North American country is seen as possessing the fourth-best developed public health care system. In fact, Canada is rated in the top 10 in all but one of the nine attributes, affordability, where Asian countries dominate.
Seven European countries are ranked in the top 10: Denmark, Sweden and Norway immediately follow Canada, with Switzerland, the Netherlands, Finland and Germany also finishing in the top 10. Australia and New Zealand also finished in the top 10 countries in Quality of Life.
Countries perceived to provide a lower quality of life perform most poorly in areas concerning personal safety and economic opportunity. Iraq, Lebanon and Uzbekistan are at the bottom of the quality of life ranking, followed by El Salvador, Serbia and Azerbaijan. The Dominican Republic – which ranks 53rd for quality of life – finishes last for its public education system, while Colombia (60th for quality of life) places last for safety.
The United States ranks No. 20, down five spots from last year, by survey respondents for providing a good quality of life. Even though it placed No. 4 for its job market, the country placed No. 51 for affordability.
How does India fare in the quality of life index? Take a look at the top 10 and India's ranking.
1. Canada
#1 in Quality of Life Rankings
No Change in Rank from 2020
Canada takes up about two-fifths of the North American continent, making it the second-largest country in the world after Russia. The country is sparsely populated, with most of its 35.5 million residents living within 125 miles of the U.S. border. Canada’s expansive wilderness to the north plays a large role in Canadian identity, as does the country’s reputation of welcoming immigrants.
2. Denmark
#2 in Quality of Life Rankings
No Change in Rank from 2020
The Kingdom of Denmark emerged in the 10th century and includes two North Atlantic island nations, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. Along with Sweden and Norway, it forms Scandinavia, a cultural region in Northern Europe.
3. Sweden
#3 in Quality of Life Rankings
No Change in Rank from 2020
The Kingdom of Sweden, flanked by Norway to the west and the Baltic Sea to the east, expands across much of the Scandinavian Peninsula and is one of the largest countries in the European Union by land mass. Capital city Stockholm was claimed in the 16th century, and border disputes through the Middle Ages established the modern-day nation.
4. Norway
#4 in Quality of Life Rankings
No Change in Rank from 2020
The Kingdom of Norway is the westernmost country in the Scandinavian peninsula, made up mostly of mountainous terrain. Nearly all of its population lives in the south, surrounding the capital, Oslo. Norway’s coastline is made up of thousands of miles of fjords, bays and island shores. The Norwegians developed a maritime culture, and were active throughout the Viking era, establishing settlements in Iceland and Greenland.
5. Switzerland
#5 in Quality of Life Rankings
#7 out of 73 in 2020
Switzerland, officially called the Swiss Federation, is a small country in Central Europe made up of 16,000 square miles of glacier-carved Alps, lakes and valleys. It’s one of the world’s wealthiest countries, and has been well-known for centuries for its neutrality.