UN Human Development Report: 2007

[Zim]

I'm not quite sure if this is backroom material or not (i.e. how controversial it is) but I thought it was interesting. I was looking something up on wikipedia when I noticed this map, rating countries on their score on the U.N.'s Human Development Index, a rather complicated means of determining living standards that takes into account things like GDP per capita, education, life expectancy, etc. It's not perfect, but as the wikipedia article notes, it's better than the old method of just looking at GDP per capita.

Does anyone else find some of the results surprising? For example, that Germany and the UK are in the second tier (although with the latter very close to the first). Things also seem to have changed since I was in college, since Japan has shot up to 8th (although, finishing the article they were in first once in 1991, must have hit a slump in the late 90's when my geography book was written). Brunei in the top 30 was a pleasant surprise.

I'm not sure this is really debate worthy, but I thought it was kind of interesting.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Development_Index

[Vladimir]

Oh I'll make it Backroom.

These imperialist capitalist pig-dog countries in the top tier got there by exploiting the labor and resources of undeveloped countries. If it wasn't for the slave labor from non-Christian countries they ruthlessly exploited they wouldn't be nearly as advanced.

[Banquo's Ghost]

These imperialist capitalist pig-dog countries in the top tier got there by exploiting the labor and resources of undeveloped countries. If it wasn't for the slave labor from non-Christian countries they ruthlessly exploited they wouldn't be nearly as advanced.

But Vlad old fruit, there's naught controversial in that assertion...

[HoreTore]

Almost freaked out when I saw Iceland beating us in that article, luckily I checked their sources, which gave this ranking:

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/ec...elopment-index

Phew. Back to normal....

EDIT: don't even try pointing out that the site is older and Iceland has beaten us now...

[Fragony]

omglol where's poland???

[KukriKhan]

In the top 40 (#36). Why do you ask?

[Fragony]

Because annoying poles is great fun why else?

[Vladimir]

Hey, poles have all the fun at strip joints.

[CrossLOPER]

I'm very glad that this map in particular did not place Russia at the Same level as The Shiny Happy Democratic Republic of Congo.

[Husar]

Hey, poles have all the fun at strip joints.

You're talking to a dutch guy....

Also I got my nickname from something the Poles excelled in, they also helped save Europe from the Ottoman invasion. Granted they lacking a bit lately but nothing bad about their attempts to catch up.

[Fragony]

Indeed, we have all the poles in stripjoints

[Vladimir]

Indeed, we have all the poles in stripjoints

Ok, I'm confused. Did my joke translate?

[Sigurd]

Ok, I'm confused. Did my joke translate?

It did...

It's just that they lack proper education and language skills, being #12 and #20 on the human development index. They aren't quite developed...

[Fragony]

Dangit

[Louis VI the Fat]

Oh God, not the UN Human development index again.

Bunch of bureacrats, making a pointless list that has no relevance to the actual lives of actual human beings whatsover. People don't care about their abstract 'development' according to theoretical social models by bureacratic number crunchers. What people care about is their income, their health, safety, freedom, the quality of their surroundings.

Here is the important list, the quality of life index:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

It is much better readable in the link above, but here is the top tier:

Country Cost of Living Leisure & Culture Economy Environment Freedom Health Infrastructure Risk & Safety Climate Final Score

France 50 98 85 72 100 100 95 100 87 85
Switzerland 35 91 100 78 100 98 94 100 77 84
United States 59 79 89 72 92 74 100 100 86 83
Luxembourg 36 81 98 80 100 92 78 100 83 82
Germany 45 87 69 83 100 94 85 100 79 80
Australia 36 75 68 80 100 91 91 100 93 79
Italy 51 100 58 74 100 93 65 100 87 78
New Zealand 43 87 60 83 100 92 65 100 84 77
Spain 50 72 54 75 100 94 71 100 87 76
Netherlands 32 85 60 67 100 91 88 100 85 75
Norway 27 82 78 78 100 95 61 100 71 74
Belgium 24 88 60 64 100 92 88 100 86 74
Argentina 66 71 44 66 100 86 63 100 93 74
Austria 31 83 61 87 100 90 70 100 76 74
Uruguay 67 76 40 72 100 80 62 100 93 74
Canada 47 78 63 62 100 88 82 100 67 74
Japan 14 97 75 71 92 94 69 100 84 74
Portugal 52 76 44 74 100 91 62 100 93 74
Malta 58 76 46 84 100 91 34 100 99 74
Liechtenstein 37 80 71 65 100 85 65 100 82 74
Iceland 28 90 63 74 100 91 59 100 74 72
Lithuania 58 72 43 81 100 84 56 100 79 72
Hungary 54 81 43 77 100 71 63 100 76 71
Denmark 20 60 65 84 100 90 72 100 78 71
Finland 28 69 63 68 100 86 75 100 76 71
Costa Rica 63 68 39 100 100 82 50 93 60 71
Sweden 11 76 63 75 100 87 88 100 68 71
Bulgaria 56 74 39 78 92 82 53 100 80 70
Czech Republic 41 82 46 74 100 86 61 100 67 70
Slovenia 42 74 49 74 100 76 56 100 83 70
Greece 37 68 50 70 100 89 60 100 79 70
Poland 41 78 43 72 100 84 63 93 76 69
Ecuador 66 63 35 93 83 73 41 86 100 69
Mexico 55 67 40 68 92 80 58 86 90 68
Panama 60 66 42 77 92 75 62 93 65 68
Monaco 31 90 60 30 92 85 60 100 89 68
United Kingdom 5 87 65 78 100 81 71 100 59 68

[Vladimir]

Whoa! France has more freedom and a lower cost of living than the US? And why is the UK so far down on the list?

Compare it to the Democracy Index. Interesting.

[LittleGrizzly]

The main difference seemed to be the UK cost of living, which was 5! I guess that means were a really expensive place to live....

[Banquo's Ghost]

Louis, that's a very silly list.

The methodology is hard to fathom - as one assumes the larger the number the better in the ranking, and the explanation doesn't clarify - so Japan, one of the most expensive places to live has a Cost of Living index of 14. I must be being dull.

And Ireland has a worse quality of life than Colombia. Or maybe that's because the estate agents that compiled the figures enjoy Colombian Marching Powder more than our kind of craic.

(I would also think that a country like ours that apparently costs nothing at all to live in would be popular...)

It must hurt that France is outscored by Italy on Culture.

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

The UK a more expensive place to live than Sweden? I don't think so. Our economy score is bizarrely low too.

[Kagemusha]

I prefer the first list.Louis list doesnt seem to make any sense.

[econ21]

The Human Development Index is basically just an average of a country's GDP per capita, life expectancy and literacy/enrolment. It does not capture everything one values in life - "culture" or what have you - but it does cover some fundamentals. I don't find it very useful for comparing rich countries - as they differ less in these basics - but it does bring home the gap between them and the poorer countries.

Ironically, it was developed because folk figured there was more to life than GDP per capita, but when people did the maths, it ended up giving very similar rankings to GDP per capita.

Personally, I don't find much value in the overall composite number for HDI or quality of life (as the aggregation hides so much information), but looking at the components is fascinating. For example, it is interesting to see Iraq and Afghanistan bottom of the list for security. Not exactly mission accomplished.

[CrossLOPER]

Oh God, not the UN Human development index again.

Bunch of bureacrats, making a pointless list that has no relevance to the actual lives of actual human beings whatsover. People don't care about their abstract 'development' according to theoretical social models by bureacratic number crunchers. What people care about is their income, their health, safety, freedom, the quality of their surroundings.

Here is the important list, the quality of life index:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

It is much better readable in the link above, but here is the top tier:

Country Cost of Living Leisure & Culture Economy Environment Freedom Health Infrastructure Risk & Safety Climate Final Score

France 50 98 85 72 100 100 95 100 87 85
Switzerland 35 91 100 78 100 98 94 100 77 84
United States 59 79 89 72 92 74 100 100 86 83
Luxembourg 36 81 98 80 100 92 78 100 83 82
Germany 45 87 69 83 100 94 85 100 79 80
Australia 36 75 68 80 100 91 91 100 93 79
Italy 51 100 58 74 100 93 65 100 87 78
New Zealand 43 87 60 83 100 92 65 100 84 77
Spain 50 72 54 75 100 94 71 100 87 76
Netherlands 32 85 60 67 100 91 88 100 85 75
Norway 27 82 78 78 100 95 61 100 71 74
Belgium 24 88 60 64 100 92 88 100 86 74
Argentina 66 71 44 66 100 86 63 100 93 74
Austria 31 83 61 87 100 90 70 100 76 74
Uruguay 67 76 40 72 100 80 62 100 93 74
Canada 47 78 63 62 100 88 82 100 67 74
Japan 14 97 75 71 92 94 69 100 84 74
Portugal 52 76 44 74 100 91 62 100 93 74
Malta 58 76 46 84 100 91 34 100 99 74
Liechtenstein 37 80 71 65 100 85 65 100 82 74
Iceland 28 90 63 74 100 91 59 100 74 72
Lithuania 58 72 43 81 100 84 56 100 79 72
Hungary 54 81 43 77 100 71 63 100 76 71
Denmark 20 60 65 84 100 90 72 100 78 71
Finland 28 69 63 68 100 86 75 100 76 71
Costa Rica 63 68 39 100 100 82 50 93 60 71
Sweden 11 76 63 75 100 87 88 100 68 71
Bulgaria 56 74 39 78 92 82 53 100 80 70
Czech Republic 41 82 46 74 100 86 61 100 67 70
Slovenia 42 74 49 74 100 76 56 100 83 70
Greece 37 68 50 70 100 89 60 100 79 70
Poland 41 78 43 72 100 84 63 93 76 69
Ecuador 66 63 35 93 83 73 41 86 100 69
Mexico 55 67 40 68 92 80 58 86 90 68
Panama 60 66 42 77 92 75 62 93 65 68
Monaco 31 90 60 30 92 85 60 100 89 68
United Kingdom 5 87 65 78 100 81 71 100 59 68

If whoever made this list has an agenda, I can't figure out what it is.

[Viking]

Oh God, not the UN Human development index again.

Bunch of bureacrats, making a pointless list that has no relevance to the actual lives of actual human beings whatsover. People don't care about their abstract 'development' according to theoretical social models by bureacratic number crunchers. What people care about is their income, their health, safety, freedom, the quality of their surroundings.

Here is the important list, the quality of life index:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

It is much better readable in the link above, but here is the top tier:

Country Cost of Living Leisure & Culture Economy Environment Freedom Health Infrastructure Risk & Safety Climate Final Score

France 50 98 85 72 100 100 95 100 87 85
Switzerland 35 91 100 78 100 98 94 100 77 84
United States 59 79 89 72 92 74 100 100 86 83
Luxembourg 36 81 98 80 100 92 78 100 83 82
Germany 45 87 69 83 100 94 85 100 79 80
Australia 36 75 68 80 100 91 91 100 93 79
Italy 51 100 58 74 100 93 65 100 87 78
New Zealand 43 87 60 83 100 92 65 100 84 77
Spain 50 72 54 75 100 94 71 100 87 76
Netherlands 32 85 60 67 100 91 88 100 85 75
Norway 27 82 78 78 100 95 61 100 71 74
Belgium 24 88 60 64 100 92 88 100 86 74
Argentina 66 71 44 66 100 86 63 100 93 74
Austria 31 83 61 87 100 90 70 100 76 74
Uruguay 67 76 40 72 100 80 62 100 93 74
Canada 47 78 63 62 100 88 82 100 67 74
Japan 14 97 75 71 92 94 69 100 84 74
Portugal 52 76 44 74 100 91 62 100 93 74
Malta 58 76 46 84 100 91 34 100 99 74
Liechtenstein 37 80 71 65 100 85 65 100 82 74
Iceland 28 90 63 74 100 91 59 100 74 72
Lithuania 58 72 43 81 100 84 56 100 79 72
Hungary 54 81 43 77 100 71 63 100 76 71
Denmark 20 60 65 84 100 90 72 100 78 71
Finland 28 69 63 68 100 86 75 100 76 71
Costa Rica 63 68 39 100 100 82 50 93 60 71
Sweden 11 76 63 75 100 87 88 100 68 71
Bulgaria 56 74 39 78 92 82 53 100 80 70
Czech Republic 41 82 46 74 100 86 61 100 67 70
Slovenia 42 74 49 74 100 76 56 100 83 70
Greece 37 68 50 70 100 89 60 100 79 70
Poland 41 78 43 72 100 84 63 93 76 69
Ecuador 66 63 35 93 83 73 41 86 100 69
Mexico 55 67 40 68 92 80 58 86 90 68
Panama 60 66 42 77 92 75 62 93 65 68
Monaco 31 90 60 30 92 85 60 100 89 68
United Kingdom 5 87 65 78 100 81 71 100 59 68

Another list of numbers.

[Vladimir]

I prefer the first list.Louis list doesnt seem to make any sense.

France is #1.

Iraq: Freedom 0