Skipper

It's always interesting to see how 'we' are doing in relation to other countries. Newsweek has just compiled a study of countries which are the best to live in according to five indeces: health, education, quality of life, compoetitiveness and political environment. Top comes Finland, then 'the usual suspects' Switzerland, Sweden, with Norway ihn 6th poisition, though, my favourite Denmark comes as low as 10th. Canada is 7th and Japan 9th with USA on 11th.

The UK fared pretty well, I thought, to be 14th, coming 8th on education(99% literacy and 16 yrs average schooling); 17th in health; 19th Quality life(healthy life expectancy, 72); 4th on economic conmpetitiveness(hard to believe that one); and 33rd on Political environment(can't believe that USA should be as high as 14th on this index).

Funny how it doesn't necessarily feel that we should be that high up the list, but perhaps salutory that we remind ourselves wwe're not that badly off.