The 2006 Human Development Index which compares the standard of living of 177 countries around the world has just been released. The United States is up two places to #8. Ireland which entered the top 10 for the first time in its history two years ago now has the 4th highest standard of living on the planet. An incredible turn around for a country that even BONO refered to as a "third world country" decades ago and suffered one of the worst famines in history 160 years ago leading to the eventual loss of nearly 60% of its pre-famine population. China is up four spots to #81 while Brazil has dropped several spots and is now behind Belarus in standard of living. The United Kingdom was several places ahead of Ireland just 3 years ago, it has now fallen to #18 versus Ireland which is now at #4. If this trend continues, in a few years, Ireland just might knock Norway off of the top spot where it has been for over a decade.
Here is the complete list for 2006:
1 Norway
2 Iceland
3 Australia
4 Ireland
5 Sweden
6 Canada
7 Japan
8 United States
9 Switzerland
10 Netherlands
11 Finland
12 Luxembourg
13 Belgium
14 Austria
15 Denmark
16 France
17 Italy
18 United Kingdom
19 Spain
20 New Zealand
21 Germany
22 Hong Kong, China (SAR)
23 Israel
24 Greece
25 Singapore
26 Korea, Rep. of
27 Slovenia
28 Portugal
29 Cyprus
30 Czech Republic
31 Barbados
32 Malta
33 Kuwait
34 Brunei Darussalam
35 Hungary
36 Argentina
37 Poland
38 Chile
39 Bahrain
40 Estonia
41 Lithuania
42 Slovakia
43 Uruguay
44 Croatia
45 Latvia
46 Qatar
47 Seychelles
48 Costa Rica
49 United Arab Emirates
50 Cuba
51 Saint Kitts and Nevis
52 Bahamas
53 Mexico
54 Bulgaria
55 Tonga
56 Oman
57 Trinidad and Tobago
58 Panama
59 Antigua and Barbuda
60 Romania
61 Malaysia
62 Bosnia and Herzegovina
63 Mauritius
64 Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
65 Russian Federation
66 Macedonia, TFYR
67 Belarus
68 Dominica
69 Brazil
70 Colombia
71 Saint Lucia
72 Venezuela, RB
73 Albania
74 Thailand
75 Samoa (Western)
76 Saudi Arabia
77 Ukraine
78 Lebanon
79 Kazakhstan
80 Armenia
81 China
82 Peru
83 Ecuador
84 Philippines
85 Grenada
86 Jordan
87 Tunisia
88 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
89 Suriname
90 Fiji
91 Paraguay
92 Turkey
93 Sri Lanka
94 Dominican Republic
95 Belize
96 Iran, Islamic Rep. of
97 Georgia
98 Maldives
99 Azerbaijan
100 Occupied Palestinian Territories
101 El Salvador
102 Algeria
103 Guyana
104 Jamaica
105 Turkmenistan
106 Cape Verde
107 Syrian Arab Republic
108 Indonesia
109 Viet Nam
110 Kyrgyzstan
111 Egypt
112 Nicaragua
113 Uzbekistan
114 Moldova, Rep. of
115 Bolivia
116 Mongolia
117 Honduras
118 Guatemala
119 Vanuatu
120 Equatorial Guinea
121 South Africa
122 Tajikistan
123 Morocco
124 Gabon
125 Namibia
126 India
127 São Tomé and Principe
128 Solomon Islands
129 Cambodia
130 Myanmar
131 Botswana
132 Comoros
133 Lao People's Dem. Rep.
134 Pakistan
135 Bhutan
136 Ghana
137 Bangladesh
138 Nepal
139 Papua New Guinea
140 Congo
141 Sudan
142 Timor-Leste
143 Madagascar
144 Cameroon
145 Uganda
146 Swaziland
147 Togo
148 Djibouti
149 Lesotho
150 Yemen
151 Zimbabwe
152 Kenya
153 Mauritania
154 Haiti
155 Gambia
156 Senegal
157 Eritrea
158 Rwanda
159 Nigeria
160 Guinea
161 Angola
162 Tanzania, U. Rep. of
163 Benin
164 Côte d'Ivoire
165 Zambia
166 Malawi
167 Congo, Dem. Rep. of the
168 Mozambique
169 Burundi
170 Ethiopia
171 Chad
172 Central African Republic
173 Guinea-Bissau
174 Burkina Faso
175 Mali
176 Sierra Leone
177 Niger
http://hdr.undp.org/hdr2006/statistics/
Here is the complete list for 2006:
1 Norway
2 Iceland
3 Australia
4 Ireland
5 Sweden
6 Canada
7 Japan
8 United States
9 Switzerland
10 Netherlands
11 Finland
12 Luxembourg
13 Belgium
14 Austria
15 Denmark
16 France
17 Italy
18 United Kingdom
19 Spain
20 New Zealand
21 Germany
22 Hong Kong, China (SAR)
23 Israel
24 Greece
25 Singapore
26 Korea, Rep. of
27 Slovenia
28 Portugal
29 Cyprus
30 Czech Republic
31 Barbados
32 Malta
33 Kuwait
34 Brunei Darussalam
35 Hungary
36 Argentina
37 Poland
38 Chile
39 Bahrain
40 Estonia
41 Lithuania
42 Slovakia
43 Uruguay
44 Croatia
45 Latvia
46 Qatar
47 Seychelles
48 Costa Rica
49 United Arab Emirates
50 Cuba
51 Saint Kitts and Nevis
52 Bahamas
53 Mexico
54 Bulgaria
55 Tonga
56 Oman
57 Trinidad and Tobago
58 Panama
59 Antigua and Barbuda
60 Romania
61 Malaysia
62 Bosnia and Herzegovina
63 Mauritius
64 Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
65 Russian Federation
66 Macedonia, TFYR
67 Belarus
68 Dominica
69 Brazil
70 Colombia
71 Saint Lucia
72 Venezuela, RB
73 Albania
74 Thailand
75 Samoa (Western)
76 Saudi Arabia
77 Ukraine
78 Lebanon
79 Kazakhstan
80 Armenia
81 China
82 Peru
83 Ecuador
84 Philippines
85 Grenada
86 Jordan
87 Tunisia
88 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
89 Suriname
90 Fiji
91 Paraguay
92 Turkey
93 Sri Lanka
94 Dominican Republic
95 Belize
96 Iran, Islamic Rep. of
97 Georgia
98 Maldives
99 Azerbaijan
100 Occupied Palestinian Territories
101 El Salvador
102 Algeria
103 Guyana
104 Jamaica
105 Turkmenistan
106 Cape Verde
107 Syrian Arab Republic
108 Indonesia
109 Viet Nam
110 Kyrgyzstan
111 Egypt
112 Nicaragua
113 Uzbekistan
114 Moldova, Rep. of
115 Bolivia
116 Mongolia
117 Honduras
118 Guatemala
119 Vanuatu
120 Equatorial Guinea
121 South Africa
122 Tajikistan
123 Morocco
124 Gabon
125 Namibia
126 India
127 São Tomé and Principe
128 Solomon Islands
129 Cambodia
130 Myanmar
131 Botswana
132 Comoros
133 Lao People's Dem. Rep.
134 Pakistan
135 Bhutan
136 Ghana
137 Bangladesh
138 Nepal
139 Papua New Guinea
140 Congo
141 Sudan
142 Timor-Leste
143 Madagascar
144 Cameroon
145 Uganda
146 Swaziland
147 Togo
148 Djibouti
149 Lesotho
150 Yemen
151 Zimbabwe
152 Kenya
153 Mauritania
154 Haiti
155 Gambia
156 Senegal
157 Eritrea
158 Rwanda
159 Nigeria
160 Guinea
161 Angola
162 Tanzania, U. Rep. of
163 Benin
164 Côte d'Ivoire
165 Zambia
166 Malawi
167 Congo, Dem. Rep. of the
168 Mozambique
169 Burundi
170 Ethiopia
171 Chad
172 Central African Republic
173 Guinea-Bissau
174 Burkina Faso
175 Mali
176 Sierra Leone
177 Niger
http://hdr.undp.org/hdr2006/statistics/