William Atkins
Tuesday, 06 October 2009 20:33
Science -
Health
Page 2 of 3
Under this HDI measure, taken in 2009, of 189 countries of the world, Norway is ranked number 1 in the world, Australia, 4, the United States, 13, the United Kingdom, 21, Germany, 22, Costa Rica, 50, India, 134, and Pakistan, 141. [Statistics provided by Daily Times “
Pakistan ranked 141 on UN’s human development index,” and New Scientist “Redefine the bottom line".]
However, the UN Human Development Index does not take into account how these measures will continue over time. It is only a measure of current well-being.
Thus, the
New Economics Foundation created the Happy Planet Index to take into account well-being in the long-term future. The NEF states that its Happy Planet Index takes into account how sustainable well-being is for people in the countries of the world.
It measures the average life expectancy and life satisfaction of each country’s people against the ecological impact they have on the world. It measures
“how many hectares each person needs to sustain their lifestyle. It gives an indication of how efficient different countries are at converting natural resources into long, happy lives for their citizens.” [New Scientist]
The HPI does not indicate which country is the happiest one in the world. However, it does state the relative efficiency by which each country converts its natural resources into long, happy lives for its citizens--and, thus, comes up with a ranking of 143 countries of the world.
According to the Happy Planet Index, the people of Costa Rica have the highest life satisfaction in the world, have the second-highest average life expectancy in the Americas, and an overall good ranking with respect to its ecological footprint (it efficiently converts its natural resources so that its citizens can lead long and happy lives).
For other countries ranked by the HPI, the United Kingdom was ranked 74 out of a total of 143 counties, Australia, 102, and the United States, 114. [New Scientist]
Page three concludes.
