Most Livable Countries

Updated August 5, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

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According to the UN's Human Development Index

The Human Development Index (HDI), published by the UN, ranks nations according to their citizens' quality of life rather than strictly by a nation's traditional economic figures. There is a secondary report, the Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index (IHDI), that adjusts a nation's HDI based off of the "average person's" experience, versus an overall mean. Hypothetically a perfectly equal country would have the same HDI and IHDI, though in practice all countries suffer at least a minor drop in scores.

The criteria for calculating rankings include life expectancy, educational attainment, and adjusted real income. Researchers run these data points through an equation that gives them a final total score for each country, ranging effectively between 0 and 1. Check out the 10 most livable countries by rank and score, as well as our profiles on the countries that made the list. Also be sure to check out our list of the least livable countries. All data come from the 2019 Human Development Report, the most recent on record. 

Norway has consistently topped the rankings almost every year since 2000. Australia and Switzerland are also regular top contenders, although Australia has declined since last year. The highest ranked countries consistently share a few common factors, including mandatory schooling from a young age, regular access to preschool/kindergarten, and widespread access to health coverage. Singapore was consistently the highest ranked country in Asia, thanks to the country's immense economic growth and development since the 1960s. Hong Kong has recently climbed up the rankings due to improved healthcare and economic opportunity.