The 20 best places in the world to live

By MAIL FOREIGN SERVICE

Top spot: Norway is the most desirable place to live, according to a UN list

The UK has been ranked the 21st best place in the world to live – flagging behind Ireland and Iceland.

The UN list, which saw Norway retain its status as the world’s most desirable place to live, ranks sub-Saharan African states afflicted by war and Aids as the worst.

Data collected prior to the global economic crisis showed people in Norway, Australia and Iceland had the best living standards, while Niger, Afghanistan and Sierra Leone scored worst in terms of human development.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) index was compiled using 2007 data on GDP per capita, education, and life expectancy, and showed marked differences between the developed and developing world.

'Despite significant improvements over time, progress has been uneven,' UNDP said in a statement.

'Many countries have experienced setbacks over recent decades, in the face of economic downturns, conflict-related crises and the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and this was even before the impact of the global economic crisis was felt.'

Life expectancy in Niger was 50, about 30 years shorter than Norway, according to the index. For every dollar earned per person in Niger, $85 was earned in Norway.

Runner up: Australia is said to have some of the best living standards in the world

Warm review: Iceland has been ranked the third best place to live in the world

Half the people in the poorest 24 countries were illiterate, compared to 20 per cent in nations classed as having medium levels of human development, the index showed.

Japanese people lived longer than others, to 82.7 years on average, with life expectancy in war-ravaged Afghanistan just 43.6 years.

Seriously missing the mark: The United Kingdom managed to only rank number 21, trailing behind the likes of the U.S., Ireland, and France

Top 21 countries in the world to live based on data from 2007, according to the UN

1. Norway
2. Australia
3. Iceland
4. Canada
5. Ireland
6. Netherlands
7. Sweden
8. France
9. Switzerland
10. Japan
11. Luxembourg
12. Finland
13. United States
14. Austria
15. Spain
16. Denmark
17. Belgium
18. Italy
19. Liechtenstein
20. New Zealand
21. United Kingom

Liechtenstein has the highest GDP per capita at $85,383 in a tiny principality home to 35,000 people, 15 banks and more than 100 wealth management companies.

People were poorest in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where average income per person was $298 per year.

Five countries - China, Venezuela, Peru, Colombia and France - climbed three or more places from the previous year, driven by greater earnings and longer life expectancy.

China, Colombia and Venezuela also scored better due to improvements in education.

UNDP, which has published the index annually since 1990, said human development had improved globally by 15 percent since 1980, with China, Iran and Nepal the biggest climbers in the chart.

The top 21 ranked states in the latest Human Development Index, which refers to data compiled in 2007, was prior to the world economic crisis.