These findings were arrived at by objective analysis by the United Nations Development Programme, as opposed to kneejerk rhetoric on the Aces High BBS.
I am not surprised by this article. Norway may have high levels of taxation, but services such as education and health tend to be "free at the point of sale". I've yet to hear of a Norwegian having to cancel his AH account because of mounting medical bills. And unlike countries such as the UK and US, Norway has no significant nonproductive underclass draining the welfare system. Their educational standards are high, with 98% of children in school. Certainly, our Norwegian friends on this board seem to be extremely well educated. Their standard of English with regard to grammar, spelling and vocabulary is truly remarkable. Of course, one needs to be sufficiently well educated oneself in order to appreciate this.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/07/16/wnorw16.xml&sSheet=/news/2004/07/16/ixworld.htmlNorway is the leading country for life expectancy, income and educational attainment, says the United Nations Development Programme.
It is followed by Sweden, Australia, Canada and Holland. The United States, the world's largest economy, comes eighth.
Sierra Leone was the poorest out of 177 nations evaluated, but the list did not include Somalia, generally considered the poorest country in the world.
The four other lowest on the development index are Burundi, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
Life expectancy for Norwegians is 78.9. The nation has 98 per cent of its children in school and the highest income in the world at £19,460 per head of population.
In Britain, which comes 12th, a child growing up now may expect to live to 78, all children are in school and the per capita income is £14,135. In America, life expectancy is 77.
