Poll: Newsweek Ranking Countries

[Hateren47]

I'm a little sad to see Denmark as low as 10 but we've lost some points in the education category (21st) although our literacy rating is 99% and average years of schooling is 16.9. South Korea came 2nd in the same category with 97.9% and 14.3 years. Maybe South Koreans just learn things faster than we do.

 

[TylerC]

I'm surprised how un-biased they seem to be making the list. I was even more surprised about South Korea placing 15th, so I guess I should be less ignorant about the well being(?) of countries some people either assume or make them out to be.

I would've assumed Singapore would be higher though.

 

[Mighty the Moose]

My biggest problem is their standards for "quality of life," i would assume that would be a measure of average income and price indexes, but Newsweek thinks differently. To them, quality of life is:
- income inequlity (apparently when some people make more than others, that's a bad thing)
- gender gap (a valid measure of quality for only half of the population, should be in a "cultural openess" or "cultural freedom" sector instead)
- percentage living on less than $2 per day (measure of extreme poverty, not of the average quality of life)
- comsumption per capita (the best measurement for quality of life they have)
- homicides per 100,000 (ehhhhh, crime is important, but it would be better if they measured overall crime rather than just murders)
- environmental health (useless, Singapore did relatively badly in it because it's a city, as long as a country isn't horribly polluted, then the environment has little to no effect on the quality of life of the average citizen)
- unemployment rate (should be under economic dynamism and should be more long term, short term unemployment shows nothing)

I believe you are conceptually conflating 'Quality of Life' (often defined within the context of Developmental Theory) with 'Standard of Living' (which is indeed derived from average income, or more accurately, GNI per capita). Price indexes are incorporated if there is a need to distinguish between nominal or real GNI.

As Quality of Life formulations go, the one utilized by Newsweek is very standard.

Obviously, both are inherently subjective.

 

[viranimus]

Murika.. YA!

Were so awesome one #1 wasnt enough... we needed 2!!!.. Whaddya mean that means eleven?

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

Number 4? This despite being politically influenced by a bunch of xenophobes from Western Sydney and Queensland? Not bad Australia, now can we be nicer to the oppressed?

Here's a completely outrageous idea... but... we could stop oppressing them!

 

[Adzma]

Number 4? This despite being politically influenced by a bunch of xenophobes from Western Sydney and Queensland? Not bad Australia, now can we be nicer to the oppressed?

Made me look twice too. Obviously living under a Nanny-state Government is considered positive nowadays.

 

[BlackKraken]

14th isn't bad!

Though if this was going by the peoples view of their country then the UK would be bottom.

We really go on about "broken britain" and all that crap. I mean, REALLY? Our country is THAT BAD? Because I think its pretty damn good in comparison to a lot of other countries in the world.

 

[Sampsa]

Sheez... our minister of foreign affairs has been smiling like an idiot because of this list. Just google Alexander Stubb.

 

[Instinct Blues]

Seems fair to me but once America kicks the South to the curb or at least makes it a more tolerable place to live we'd jump at least 5 spots. IMO the South is holding America back all the ignorance and bible-thumping is hindering people who actually want to make changes based on facts not scare tactics like the Republicans love to use so much.

 

[JourneyThroughHell]

Well, it's mostly fair for us. 51st or something.
Although I don't get where they took that political instability rating from - things are fairly alright for Russia right now.

 

[CouchCommando]

Woo c'mon Australia, yeah wow ...... I'm actually shocked. And I live here. Top 4 .......wow. Well I can't really complain about anything in my life, and If I did I would have to admit that I was just been picky.

 

[fullbleed]

wow UK has pretty high everything, just let down by polotic's, DAM YOU DAVID CAMERON!

It's probably not Cameron's fault (not yet anyway) but I bet it's from the fallout of the last government and the corruption and expenses scandals that dragged our score down.