A new listing of the best countries to
be born in next year places the United States at only No. 16.
One reason cited for the
lower-than-expected listing: the federal debt.
The list was compiled by the Economist
Intelligence Unit, a sister company of The Economist, and “attempts to measure
which country will provide the best opportunities for a healthy, safe and
prosperous life in the years ahead.”
Among the factors considered are
wealth, crime, trust in public institutions, demographics, health, geography,
and economic forecasts to the year 2030, when children born in 2013 will reach
adulthood.
Switzerland ranks at the top of the
list, followed by Australia, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.
Rounding out the top 10 in the list of
80 places are Singapore, New Zealand, Netherlands, Canada, and Hong Kong.
“America, where babies will inherit the
large debt of the boomer generation, languishes back in 16th place,” The
Economist notes.
Germany is tied with the U.S. at No.
16, ahead of Japan (No. 25), France (26), and Britain (27).
At the bottom of the list is Nigeria at
No. 80.
The lowest Western Hemisphere country
is Ecuador at No. 65, and the lowest European nation is Ukraine at No. 78.
China comes in at No. 49, while Taiwan
is No. 14. Russia is down the list at No. 72, just behind Indonesia.
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