The United Nations ranks Australia second for quality of life
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6 October 2009
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Australia was ranked second for quality of life among 182 countries and territories in the United Nations Development Program's Human Development Report 2009.
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The report drew on the Human Development Index which measures the state of human development through life expectancy, adult literacy and school enrolments, and income.
Australia ranked closely behind Norway, followed by Iceland, Canada and Ireland. Australia has moved up from third position in 2006 and 2007. The US’s position fell from twelfth to thirteenth, while Britain retained its place at twenty-first. Niger and Afghanistan ranked lowest out of the countries assessed.
Since 2008 Australian income has risen by four per cent and Australians are living three months longer.
The report focused on the inequalities of migration for people wanting to move from developing countries to those more developed, in search of the opportunities these countries can provide in terms of income and accessing services.
Next year will see the tenth anniversary of the Human Development Index. To mark the occasion, the UN plans to revise the methodology of the indices which may take environment, inequality and participation into consideration.
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