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Eug · Oct 5, 2009, 11:41 AM

Statistics | Human Development Reports (HDR) | United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Human Development Report 2009 - HDI rankings - Top 50:

Very high Human Development

1. Norway
2. Australia
3. Iceland
4. Canada
5. Ireland
6. Netherlands
7. Sweden
8. France
9. Switzerland
10. Japan
11. Luxembourg
12. Finland
13. United States
14. Austria
15. Spain
16. Denmark
17. Belgium
18. Italy
19. Liechtenstein
20. New Zealand
21. United Kingdom
22. Germany
23. Singapore
24. Hong Kong, China (SAR)
25. Greece
26. Korea (Republic of)
27. Israel
28. Andorra
29. Slovenia
30. Brunei Darussalam
31. Kuwait
32. Cyprus
33. Qatar
34. Portugal
35. United Arab Emirates
36. Czech Republic
37. Barbados
38. Malta

High Human Development

39. Bahrain
40. Estonia
41. Poland
42. Slovakia
43. Hungary
44. Chile
45. Croatia
46. Lithuania
47. Antigua and Barbuda
48. Latvia
49. Argentina
50. Uruguay

Interestingly, you'll see that Andorra was #28. I didn't know those Andorians had set up a colony here. Anyways, it seems they're doing pretty well, despite their likely relatively short history on Earth.

turtle777 · Oct 5, 2009, 12:03 PM

Yay for statistics.

-t

The Final Dakar · 12:15 PM

I'm curious how this thread will manage to take a turn for the worse.

nonhuman · Oct 5, 2009, 12:14 PM

Never been to Norway, though I'd love to go. I have been to Iceland, however, and it is very high on my list of places I might consider moving to if I were to leave the US (it might be at the top if not for the fact that there are other places where I could more easily gain citizenship).

Eug · Oct 5, 2009, 12:23 PM

I haven't been to the Scandinavian countries or Iceland either, and would also like to visit at some point.

Now that Iceland is basically bankrupt, I wonder if it might actually be cheaper for us to go.

turtle777 · Oct 5, 2009, 12:24 PM

Originally Posted by Eug

I haven't been to the Scandinavian countries or Iceland either, and would also like to visit at some point.

Now that Iceland is basically bankrupt, I wonder if it might actually be cheaper for us to go.

Why go that far ? The US is basically bankrupt. Soon it will be a bargain for Canadians...

-t

Phileas · Oct 5, 2009, 12:29 PM

Already is. Didn't we buy a bunch of your banks recently? Y'all get paid in beaver tails in no time...

ctt1wbw · Oct 5, 2009, 12:44 PM

Norway is beautiful. I've only been to Bergen and Stavanger and I have to say it's nice. Slightly on the expensive side. Beautiful scenery, hot women, nice weather... I'd love to go back.

Eug · Oct 5, 2009, 12:45 PM

Well, I did order some camera accessories from the US recently. Prices were not bad, because of the declining US buck. However, this is bad for Canada too, since as the US dollar drops (against the Canadian dollar), so do Canadian exports.

Anyways, I've been to the US a bazillion times already. I may as well go somewhere different.

P.S. A Swedish acquaintance says her dad loves coming to Canada. Why? Cuz the non-Swedish food in Sweden apparently sucks. So he comes to Toronto supposedly to visit his daughter but in reality spends 2 weeks going to different restaurants.

SpaceMonkey · Oct 5, 2009, 01:07 PM

FWIW, their definition of "human development":

"Human Development is a development paradigm that is about much more than the rise or fall of national incomes. It is about creating an environment in which people can develop their full potential and lead productive, creative lives in accord with their needs and interests. People are the real wealth of nations. Development is thus about expanding the choices people have to lead lives that they value. And it is thus about much more than economic growth, which is only a means —if a very important one —of enlarging people’s choices."

"Each year since 1990 the Human Development Report has published the human development index (HDI) which looks beyond GDP to a broader definition of well-being. The HDI provides a composite measure of three dimensions of human development: living a long and healthy life (measured by life expectancy), being educated (measured by adult literacy and gross enrolment in education) and having a decent standard of living (measured by purchasing power parity, PPP, income). The index is not in any sense a comprehensive measure of human development. It does not, for example, include important indicators such as gender or income inequality nor more difficult to measure concepts like respect for human rights and political freedoms. What it does provide is a broadened prism for viewing human progress and the complex relationship between income and well-being."

nonhuman · Oct 5, 2009, 01:26 PM

Originally Posted by Eug

I haven't been to the Scandinavian countries or Iceland either, and would also like to visit at some point.

Now that Iceland is basically bankrupt, I wonder if it might actually be cheaper for us to go.

Yeah, it's pretty cheap over there. I was there just after their banks collapsed, and the had taken the krona off the international market (dunno how that works, but whatever). The exchange rate at the time was about 150 to the US$, which made everything very affordable, but not really cheap (compared to Boston). Two days after I left (and I seriously considered extending my stay just to catch this) they put the krona back on the markets at 250 to the US$. At that price point, everything is dirt cheap to an American. Right now it looks like they're back up to 124, so it should still be a good time to visit.

Money aside, I highly recommend going to Iceland. It's an absolutely amazing and beautiful country.

ShortcutToMoncton · Oct 5, 2009, 01:45 PM

I was supposed to go back to Iceland for this upcoming weekend but ended up having to switch plans a couple weeks ago. Too bad! Decent flight deals from Icelandair lately....

greg

olePigeon · Oct 5, 2009, 02:09 PM

I see that Ireland dropped from #1. Economy hit them relatively hard.

Oisín · Oct 5, 2009, 03:18 PM

Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton

I was supposed to go back to Iceland for this upcoming weekend but ended up having to switch plans a couple weeks ago. Too bad! Decent flight deals from Icelandair lately....

greg

Shame—I’m going there on Tuesday, we could have met up!

imitchellg5 · Oct 5, 2009, 04:38 PM

Oisín · Oct 5, 2009, 05:00 PM

Originally Posted by imitchellg5

And you’re trying to imagify an entire web page that has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the topic in this thread and put it on the page … why, exactly?

msuper69 · Oct 5, 2009, 05:14 PM

I'm a US citizen but of all the places I've been to, Australia tops my favorite country list (after the US).

imitchellg5 · Oct 5, 2009, 07:53 PM

Originally Posted by Oisín

And you’re trying to imagify an entire web page that has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the topic in this thread and put it on the page … why, exactly?

Yes it does... shows a pic that says USA is #1. It's not my fault it's broke.

Phileas · Oct 5, 2009, 08:10 PM

Originally Posted by imitchellg5

It's not my fault it's broke.

Yes it is. Because, you know, you linked a page using image tags.

Chuckit · Oct 5, 2009, 08:17 PM

Originally Posted by imitchellg5

Yes it does... shows a pic that says USA is #1. It's not my fault it's broke.

No, I'm sure the financial crisis had nothing to do with you. But it is your fault that you couldn't decide whether you wanted a link or an image.

- - e r i k - - · Oct 6, 2009, 12:46 AM

Since climate obviously didn't factor in, this Norwegian is happy to move to #2.

analogue SPRINKLES · Oct 6, 2009, 01:05 AM

Originally Posted by Eug

Now that Iceland is basically bankrupt, I wonder if it might actually be cheaper for us to go.

Um ya! You haven't heard? It has been a super cheap and great place to visit now for a year cuz they are broke and want your money bigtime.

Take advantage of it and go.

angelmb · Oct 6, 2009, 07:07 AM

Originally Posted by SpaceMonkey

FWIW, their definition of "human development"

OK, somebody please drop Spain from the list.

Oisín · Oct 6, 2009, 09:43 AM

Originally Posted by imitchellg5

Yes it does... shows a pic that says USA is #1. It's not my fault it's broke.

It’s a page with 25 funny signs. None of them say that the US is better than anywhere else, as far as I can tell—many of the signs might even be from other countries than the US. It’s nothing to do with the thread, and the code is still wrong.

On topic, I wonder why they’ve decided to throw Denmark all the way down to number 16 this year, when the rest of Scandinavia is in the top seven (and Finland is twelfth). Life expectancy and education are about par with Sweden; PPP is higher than in Sweden; and in the economic crisis, Denmark has fared significantly better than Sweden (and, obviously, a whole lot better than Iceland), with a much more stable economy. Most other aspects of society are quite equal. So why the jump from seventh place down to sixteenth?

The Final Dakar · Oct 6, 2009, 09:47 AM

Originally Posted by Oisín

On topic, I wonder why they’ve decided to throw Denmark all the way down to number 16 this year, when the rest of Scandinavia is in the top seven (and Finland is twelfth).

Perhaps something is rotten in the state of Denmark?

Atheist · Oct 6, 2009, 11:54 AM

Obviously climate has nothing to do with "Human Development". Many of the top ten have awful weather. In all honesty, I really can't fathom how humans survive so far north. The lack of sunlight would kill me.

turtle777 · Oct 6, 2009, 12:02 PM

Originally Posted by Atheist

Obviously climate has nothing to do with "Human Development". Many of the top ten have awful weather. In all honesty, I really can't fathom how humans survive so far north. The lack of sunlight would kill me.

Maybe that's why they are more productive ?

-t

Phileas · Oct 6, 2009, 12:15 PM

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar

Perhaps something is rotten in the state of Denmark?

Nice.

Atheist · Oct 6, 2009, 12:47 PM

Originally Posted by turtle777

Maybe that's why they are more productive ?

-t

At making sweaters?

turtle777 · Oct 6, 2009, 12:49 PM

Originally Posted by Atheist

At making sweaters?

And saunas

-t

The Final Dakar · Oct 6, 2009, 12:49 PM

Originally Posted by Phileas

Nice.

Thanks. This will be the highest brow joke I ever make on the forums.

Oisín · Oct 7, 2009, 05:53 AM

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar

Perhaps something is rotten in the state of Denmark?

Yes, but it’s been rotting there for, what, four hundred years? A few years more or less shouldn’t make much of a difference.

Not when you consider that Norway has both rakfisk and lutefisk happily rotting away up there. Now that’s some serious rottage.

- - e r i k - - · Oct 7, 2009, 06:21 AM

"The moment every traveller lives for is the native dinner where, throwing caution to the wind and plunging into a local delicacy which ought by rights to be disgusting, one discovers that it is not only delicious but that it also contradicts a previously held prejudice about food, that it expands ones culinary horizons to include surprising new smells, tastes, and textures.

Lutefisk is not such a dish.

Lutefisk is instead pretty much what you'd expect of jellied cod; it is a foul and odiferous goo, whose gelatinous texture and rancid oily taste are locked in spirited competition to see which can be the more responsible for rendering the whole completely inedble."