The Best Countries To Live In

The best places in the world to live in high rank in terms of education, job security, economic prosperity and medical care.

According to a study conducted by the Legatum Institute in 2017, Norway is the best country to live in today. They are followed by New Zealand, Finland, Switzerland, Sweden, the Netherlands and Denmark. Next, we will dissect the first ten countries that reached the top of the list of this prestigious ranking, and the reasons for their inclusion.

Top 10 countries to live in

10. United Kingdom

Located in north-western Europe, the United Kingdom consists of the four countries of Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England. Consistent on the list of the best places to live in the world, the United Kingdom has a solid network of health and education infrastructure. The average life expectancy in the United Kingdom is 81.60 years. A comparative lack of economic growth and the high cost of the real estate sector can be two things that prevent the UK from moving up from its position at number 10.

9. Australia

Australia currently ranks as the ninth best country in the world to live. With around 20 million people, a large part of Australia’s population lives in the periphery of the country. It is one of the least densely populated countries in the world. A solid healthcare system and a thriving business environment are just two of the factors that contribute to the ranking of Australia. The country also enjoys very high incomes and excellent political stability.

8. Canada

The only North American country on this list, Canada, is another common inclusion of the list of the best countries in the world to live. Canada receives praise for good governance and a high degree of individual freedom. Like Australia, Canada is a high-income country with a high degree of political stability and a high quality of life. The average life expectancy in Canada is more than 82 years.

7. Denmark

Denmark is a Nordic country that is often revered for its high quality of life. A strong social system and excellent public transport are just two things that Danes have access to. Denmark is also often ranked among the happiest countries in the world.

6. The Netherlands

The Netherlands is a relatively small country that is located in Western Europe. With more than 16.5 million people, the Netherlands is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. The citizens of the Netherlands enjoy a country that is well governed and free from corruption. The Netherlands also has a very strong system of social services, which includes medical care and education.

5. Sweden

The Nordic neighbor of Denmark to the north, Sweden, is also a common inclusion in the list of the most desirable countries in the world to live. In fact, Sweden was first classified by the Legatum Prosperity Index three years in a row in 2010, 2011, and 2012. Despite the Swedish escape to 5th place, Swedes still experience the best quality of life in the world, with very good access to education and health services of excellent quality.

4. Switzerland

Switzerland is a relatively small country, with no exit to the sea and mountainous. It is also consistently ranked among the best countries in the world to live. Its high-tech economy offers its citizens some of the highest per capita income on the planet. In addition to this, the Swiss enjoy an excellent health and education system.

3. Finland

Finland generally has a high score on the global scale for all rankings related to quality of life. This is mainly due to even greater improvements in health care and education, as well as in the areas of government and personal freedom. Although per capita income has declined slightly in Finland in recent years, the country remains incredibly prosperous. Finland also enjoys a high degree of press freedom and a very small gender gap.

2. New Zealand

Located in the Southern Hemisphere, and comprised of a North Island and a South Island, the 4.8 million residents of New Zealand enjoy incredibly high levels of education, health care, economic opportunity, freedom, government and more. In recent years, New Zealand’s prosperity has been growing steadily, along with its quality of life.

1. Norway

After having occupied the first place in recent years, Norway came in second place in the most recent ranking. As one of the richest and least corrupt countries in the world, Norwegians experience an incredibly high quality of life. Thanks to a strong infrastructure of social services, Norway occupies a prominent place in almost all the metrics used to determine the quality of life within a country, including health, education, governance and freedom. Norway is also consistently classified as one of the happiest countries in the world.

What makes a country a good place to live?

This research is based on the “Prosperity Index” of each country’s Legatum, and does not take into account some of the other factors mentioned above, such as climate, lifestyle and population.

To be specific about classification, the distinctive categories taken into account by the Legatum ranking are economic growth, personal freedom, health, education, wealth, quality of life and personal well-being. It is important to note that Legatum defines a country to include 148 nations, as well as Hong Kong, which is a Special Administrative Region of China.


This is just a classification of the best countries in the world. Each classification always has a degree of subjectivity. A model used by the United Nations to conduct a similar study uses three main categories of human development, namely immediate access to education, a decent standard of living and a long and healthy life. This Human Development Index, or HDI, is “a measure of basic human development in 188 countries, published by the UN in its annual Human Development Report.”