Australia tops region in quality of life


Australia ranks highest in the region on the UNDP's human development index

By Geoff Hiscock
CNN Asia Business Editor

SYDNEY, Australia (CNN) -- Australia ranks highest in the Asia-Pacific region for quality of life, ahead of Japan and New Zealand, the latest survey by the United Nations shows.

The lowest-ranking nations in terms of human development include Bangladesh, Laos and Pakistan, according to the 2002 Human Development Report released Wednesday by the UN Development Program (UNDP).

The survey of 173 countries ranks them by a composite measure of life expectancy, education and income per person.

Australia is No. 5 in the world behind Norway, Sweden, Canada and Belgium. The United States is at No. 6, Japan ranks No. 9 and New Zealand is No. 19.

All of the other countries in the top 20 of the UNDP's Human Development Index are in Europe.

Hong Kong, Singapore next

In the Asia-Pacific region, the next highest rankings go to Hong Kong at 23, Singapore 25, South Korea 27 and Brunei at 32.

The region's two most populous nations, China and India, are ranked at 96 and 124 respectively, in a bracket of countries that the UNDP says have "medium human development."

This bracket includes Malaysia at 59, Thailand 70, the Philippines 77, Sri Lanka 89, Vietnam 109, Indonesia 110, Mongolia 113, Cambodia 130 and Papua New Guinea 133.

A slightly different perspective is given by Canada's Fraser Institute, which said last month that Hong Kong continued to have the greatest economic freedom in the world, closely followed by Singapore. (Full Story)

The United States ranked third in that survey, followed by the U.K., New Zealand, Switzerland, Ireland and Australia.

Striking progress

The UNDP report released Wednesday said many economies in East Asia have made "striking progress" since 1990 despite the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis. It said China had risen the most, gaining 14 places since 1990.

Malaysia had gained 12 places, Thailand 10 and Singapore and South Korea both rose by eight places.

The proportion of the world's people living in extreme poverty fell from 29 percent in 1990 to 23 percent in 1999, the report said.

During the 1990s, extreme poverty was halved in East Asia and the Pacific, and fell by 7 percentage points in South Asia.

But the report noted that the substantial progress in human development was offset by "tragic exceptions" in Eastern and Central Europe, the former Soviet Union and sub-Saharan Africa, where many countries have a lower human development score today than they did in 1990.

In some cases, their score is lower than in 1975.

In a overview entitled "Deepening democracy in a fragmented world", the UNDP report says globalization is forging greater interdependence.

"Yet the world seems more fragmented -- between rich and poor, between the powerful and the powerless, and between those who welcome the global economy and those who demand a different course," it says.

Confirms status


A survey by Mercer earlier this year found Sydney to be one of the world's 10 most liveable cities

The UNDP report confirms the status of Australia and New Zealand as home to some of the world's most liveable cities.

Earlier this year, a survey by human resources consultancy Willam M. Mercer found that Sydney and Auckland rate among the world's 10 most liveable cities(Full Story).

The Mercer survey ranked a city's desirability by 39 criteria, including political and social environment, stability, personal safety, economic and financial situation and the natural and socio-cultural environments.

Sydney ranked equal in fourth place with Geneva, behind Zurich, Vancouver and Vienna. They were followed by Frankfurt, Helsinki, Auckland and Copenhagen.

Melbourne ranked No. 12, the same as last year.

Tokyo was the next highest city in the Asia-Pacific region, ranked No. 25, followed by Singapore and Kobe at equal No. 35.

Among the world's other key financial centers, London and New York ranked equal 41st, while Hong Kong came in at No. 69.