Global Standard of Living Measurements: Where Would You Live?

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National_IQ_Lynn_Vanhanen_2006_IQ_and_Global_Inequality.pngGiven a recent conversation on “where would you live in the world” I dug up some info on 1., standard of living and 2., human development index.  Here are some fun facts to consider next time someone asks the “where should you live” question:

 

  • The United States ranks 4th in GDP (or gross domestic product), but 92nd in terms of distribution of wealth (in other words, if you have money in the US it is a great place to live <but given the concentration of wealth in the US, most individuals don’t benefit from high GDP and associated increases in productivity>). 

  • HDI or Human Development Index measures average achievement of a country based on life expectancy, adult literacy rate, and gross domestic product per capita at PPP or purchasing power parity (basically, how to compare the purchasing power of two currencies). 

Here are the top ten:

  1. Norway
  2. Iceland
  3. Australia
  4. Luxembourg
  5. Canada
  6. Sweden
  7. Switzerland
  8. Ireland
  9. Belgium
  10. United States

So, where would you live?  If you got bucks, set up camp in the US; if not, pack your bags and move the clan!

– from the UN (http://hdr.undp.org/en/)

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