Quality of Life Index 2010

I ran across a list that was recently published. It shows which countries have the highest quality of life, based on several factors. Check it out: Quality of Life Index 2010.

You may have guessed that the US is not at the top of the list. France, Australia, and Switzerland come in at the top, while the US came in at 7th place. Compared to the top countries whom placed ahead of us, we scored lower in: Leisure & Culture, Economy, Environment, Freedom, and Health. Certainly the Europeans have more vacation, have better awareness of their actions on the environment, and have universal health care, but I was surprised at the lower scores on Freedom and the Economy. First, their economies suffered just as badly as ours in the recent crisis, so I am not sure what makes it better. Also, since many citizens and foreigners look at the US as a "free" nation, I am little surprised at the lower score for Freedom, but then I am reminded of the Patriot Act or other measures that our government has taken in the last several years that have taken away some of our privacy and freedom.

I think the end of the list is just as interesting as the top. Make sure you scroll to the bottom to see which countries we probably would never even want to go visit. They are fighting an uphill battle.