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This article was first published 11 years ago

OECD ranks 25 best countries in the world to live in

Last updated on: May 30, 2012 12:20 IST

Image: People ride on their bicycles near the Brdy military training area near the village of Podluhy, southwest of Prague.
Photographs: David W Cerny/Reuters

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has ranked countries in the OECD block based on quality of life.

The Index allows citizens to compare well-being across 34 countries, based on 11 dimensions the OECD has identified as essential, in the areas of material living conditions and quality of life: housing, income, jobs, community, education, environment, governance, health, life satisfaction, safety, work-life balance.

Let's take a look at the best countries to live in, according to the OECD Index.

NOTE: The OECD has ranked the countries based on housing, income, jobs, community, education, etc, but which factor is the most important to you when it comes to ranking a country? At the end of the slideshow, we have provided a poll, so ...

OECD ranks 25 best countries in the world to live in

Image: Shoppers at an outdoor mall in Melbourne.
Photographs: Mick Tsikas/Reuters

Australia

Households' income: $54,844

Employment rate: 83 per cent

Personal earnings: $82,202

Job security: 7.61 per cent

Long-term unemployment rate: 0.53 per cent

Global rank: 1

...

OECD ranks 25 best countries in the world to live in

Image: People sit under a canopy of fall leaves during a warm afternoon in Boston.
Photographs: Brian Snyder/Reuters

The United States

Households' income: $81,878

Employment rate: 83 per cent

Personal earnings: $109,508

Job security: 11.38 per cent

Long-term unemployment rate: 1.22 per cent

Global rank: 2

...

OECD ranks 25 best countries in the world to live in

Image: Pedestrians walk down the main shopping street in Stockholm's Gamla Stan or Old Town district.
Photographs: Bob Strong/Reuters

Sweden

Households' income: $46,543

Employment rate: 88 per cent

Personal earnings: $60,950

Job security: 5.45 per cent

Long-term unemployment rate: 0.77 per cent

Global rank: 3

...

OECD ranks 25 best countries in the world to live in

Image: A dog sits as he waits next to his owner to cross a street in Copenhagen.
Photographs: Radu Sigheti/Reuters

Denmark

Households' income: $39,934

Employment rate: 89 per cent

Personal earnings: $77,496

Job security: 7.75 per cent

Long-term unemployment rate: 0.93 per cent

Global rank: 4

...

OECD ranks 25 best countries in the world to live in

Image: A view on the Montreal skyline from Mont-Royal mountain.
Photographs: Shaun Best/Reuters

Canada

Households' income: $53,988

Employment rate: 82 per cent

Personal earnings: $83,597

Job security: 11.26 per cent

Long-term unemployment rate: 0.65 per cent

Global rank: 5

...

OECD ranks 25 best countries in the world to live in

Image: People walk on Zurich's main shopping street Bahnhofstrasse.
Photographs: Arnd Wiegmann/Reuters

Switzerland

Households' income: $53,546

Employment rate: 90 per cent

Personal earnings: $93,112

Job security: 5.07 per cent

Long-term unemployment rate: 0.88 per cent

Global rank: 6

...

OECD ranks 25 best countries in the world to live in

Image: Two women ride their bicycles on the Lindengracht in Amsterdam.
Photographs: Michael Kooren/Reuters

The Netherlands

Households' income: $49,361

Employment rate: 88 per cent

Personal earnings: $85,335

Job security: 3.05 per cent

Long-term unemployment rate: 0.71 per cent

Global rank: 7

...

OECD ranks 25 best countries in the world to live in

Image: People cross a street after rainfall in central Auckland.
Photographs: Stefan Wermuth/Reuters

New Zealand

Households' income: $38,025

Employment rate: 83 per cent

Personal earnings: $59,688

Job security: N/A

Long-term unemployment rate: 0.42 per cent

Global rank: 8

...

OECD ranks 25 best countries in the world to live in

Image: A view of the city of Luxembourg.
Photographs: Francois Lenoir/Reuters

Luxembourg

Households' income: $66,656

Employment rate: 83 per cent

Personal earnings: $103,670

Job security: 3.86 per cent

Long-term unemployment rate: N/A

Global rank: 9

...

OECD ranks 25 best countries in the world to live in

Image: A cafe in the square of the Three Blacksmiths, Helsinki.
Photographs: Stringer/Reuters

Finland

Households' income: $43,864

Employment rate: 86 per cent

Personal earnings: $61,472

Job security: 5.87 per cent

Long-term unemployment rate: 1.02 per cent

Global rank: 10

...

OECD ranks 25 best countries in the world to live in

Image: A man crosses the Mall, decked out in Union flags and with Buckingham Palace in the background, in London.
Photographs: Andrew Winning/Reuters

The United Kingdom

Households' income: $55,138

Employment rate: N/A

Personal earnings: $81,762

Job security: 4.81 per cent

Long-term unemployment rate: 1.43 per cent

Global rank: 11

...

OECD ranks 25 best countries in the world to live in

Image: People travel in a boat as they pass blocks of ice from Breidamerkurjokull's Vatnajokull glacier, about 380km from Reykjavik.
Photographs: Ints Kalnins/Reuters

Iceland

Households' income: $48,014

Employment rate: 90 per cent

Personal earnings: $93,821

Job security: 6.55 per cent

Long-term unemployment rate: 1.12 per cent

Global rank: 12

...

OECD ranks 25 best countries in the world to live in

Image: People rest in the Parc du Cinquantenaire of Brussels.
Photographs: Sebastien Pirlet/Reuters

Belgium

Households' income: $46,596

Employment rate: 83 per cent

Personal earnings: $69,664

Job security: 4.24 per cent

Long-term unemployment rate: 2.1 per cent

Global rank: 13

...

OECD ranks 25 best countries in the world to live in

Image: A woman has her make up applied in the Brown Thomas department store on Grafton Street in central Dublin.
Photographs: Cathal McNaughton/Reuters

Ireland

Households' income: $45,487

Employment rate: 84 per cent

Personal earnings: $93,956

Job security: 4.33 per cent

Long-term unemployment rate: 3.72 per cent

Global rank: 14

...

Tags: OECD

OECD ranks 25 best countries in the world to live in

Image: General view of the area of New Danube in Vienna.
Photographs: Herwig Prammer/Reuters

Austria

Households' income: $48,785

Employment rate: 86 per cent

Personal earnings: $77,208

Job security: 5.83 per cent

Long-term unemployment rate: 0.51 per cent

Global rank: 15

...

OECD ranks 25 best countries in the world to live in

Image: An aerial view of the Charlottenburg Palace is seen during a flight over Berlin.
Photographs: Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters

Germany

Households' income: $53,083

Employment rate: 86 per cent

Personal earnings: $73,741

Job security: 4.86 per cent

Long-term unemployment rate: 1.5 per cent

Global rank: 16

...

OECD ranks 25 best countries in the world to live in

Image: A general view shows the Champs Elysees Avenue and the Arc de Triomphe monument in Paris.
Photographs: Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters

France

Households' income: $53,608

Employment rate: 81 per cent

Personal earnings: $68,727

Job security: 4.76 per cent

Long-term unemployment rate: 2.24 per cent

Global rank: 17

...

OECD ranks 25 best countries in the world to live in

Image: People sit in front of a banner announcing Goya exhibition in Madrid.
Photographs: Andrea Comas/Reuters

Spain

Households' income: $45,689

Employment rate: N/A

Personal earnings: $61,055

Job security: 5.89 per cent

Long-term unemployment rate: N/A

Global rank: 18

...

OECD ranks 25 best countries in the world to live in

Image: River Ljubljanica near closed market in old part of Ljubljana.
Photographs: Srdjan Zivulovic/Reuters

Slovenia

Households' income: $32,258

Employment rate: 87 per cent

Personal earnings: N/A

Job security: N/A

Long-term unemployment rate: 2.34 per cent

Global rank: 19

...

OECD ranks 25 best countries in the world to live in

Image: A view of Tokyo.
Photographs: Kimimasa Mayama/Reuters

Japan

Households' income: $46,436

Employment rate: 75 per cent

Personal earnings: $61,431

Job security: N/A

Long-term unemployment rate: 1.22 per cent

Global rank: 20

...

OECD ranks 25 best countries in the world to live in

Image: An advertisement is seen on Duomo cathedral as people walk across Duomo square in Milan.
Photographs: Stefano Rellandini/Reuters

Italy

Households' income: $48,972

Employment rate: 78 per cent

Personal earnings: $55,044

Job security: 3.98 per cent

Long-term unemployment rate: 2.83 per cent

Global rank: 21

...

Tags: OECD

OECD ranks 25 best countries in the world to live in

Image: People enjoy a sunny day in Prague.
Photographs: David W Cerny/Reuters

Czech Republic

Households' income: $29,716

Employment rate: 83 per cent

Personal earnings: $36,523

Job security: 4.04 per cent

Long-term unemployment rate: 1.2 per cent

Global rank: 22

...

OECD ranks 25 best countries in the world to live in

Image: A woman reads a book beside a bronze statue in front of Sejong Centre for the Performing Arts in central Seoul.
Photographs: Jo Yong hak/Reuters

South Korea

Households' income: $31,723

Employment rate: 77 per cent

Personal earnings: $64,229

Job security: 13.10 per cent

Long-term unemployment rate: 0.01 per cent

Global rank: 23

...

OECD ranks 25 best countries in the world to live in

Image: People walk past a cafe in Tel Aviv.
Photographs: Sharon Perry/Reuters

Israel

Households' income: $42,338

Employment rate: 82 per cent

Personal earnings: $69,915

Job security: N/A

Long-term unemployment rate: 0.96 per cent

Global rank: 24

...

OECD ranks 25 best countries in the world to live in

Image: Revellers attend the Pohoda music festival at Trencin airport, 130km north of Bratislava.
Photographs: Radovan Stoklasa/Reuters

Slovakia

Households' income: $27,984

Employment rate: 84 per cent

Personal earnings: $34,051

Job security: N/A

Long-term unemployment rate: 3.22 per cent

Global rank: 25

Click NEXT to take the poll and tell us which factor comes into play when it comes to ranking a country...

OECD ranks 25 best countries in the world to live in


The OECD has ranked the countries based on factors such as housing, job, environment and education. But which factor do you think should play the most important role when ranking a country? Take this poll and tell us:

Tags: OECD