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QUOTE:
AUSTRALIA is the second best country to live in, according to a measure of global living standards.

Norway retained its status as the world's most desirable country, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) index released today, followed by Australia and then Iceland.

Niger, Afghanistan and Sierra Leone scored worst in terms of human development and the poorest performing region was sub-Saharan Africa, where states are afflicted by war and HIV/AIDS.

The index was compiled prior to the global economic crisis and used 2007 data on GDP per capita, education, and life expectancy.

Marked differences were still evident between the developed and developing world.

"Despite significant improvements over time, progress has been uneven," UNDP said.

"Many countries have experienced setbacks over recent decades, in the face of economic downturns, conflict-related crises and the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and this was even before the impact of the global economic crisis was felt."

Life expectancy in Niger was 50, about 30 years shorter than Norway, according to the index.

Half the people in the poorest 24 countries were illiterate, compared to 20 per cent in nations classed as having medium levels of human development, the index showed.

Japanese people lived longer than others, to 82.7 years on average, with life expectancy in war-ravaged Afghanistan just 43.6 years.

Liechtenstein has the highest GDP per capita in a tiny principality home to 35,000 people, 15 banks and more than 100 wealth management companies.

People were poorest in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Five countries - China, Venezuela, Peru, Colombia and France - climbed three or more places from the previous year, driven by greater earnings and longer life expectancy.

China, Colombia and Venezuela also scored better due to improvements in education.

UNDP, which has published the index annually since 1990, said human development had improved globally by 15 per cent since 1980, with China, Iran and Nepal the biggest climbers in the chart.