A teenager is often told that her country (or city) is one of the best to live in the world. In reality, for every country, its nationals have some advantages and disadvantages, but some of the cited advantages are made up by the media or propaganda. They include things like better weather, wider food choices, police presence, strong military force, diversity in population, young population, rich culture/history. Today I want to focus on the factors widely agreed among the rich countries. By these standards, the Scandinavian nations, Japan, Australia .. probably come on top.

Q: how relevant is this blogpost to where2retire?
A: I think most if not all of the factors relevant to a teenager are relevant to a retiree, too, fundamentally.

• [i=infrastructure]
• [f=financial]
• — half ranked by noteworthiness. The obvious ones are ranked lower. I avoid high-level, vague items
• inclusive workplaces and schools .. relatively free of discrimination [prejudice]
• [f] low national debt burden .. lower taxes going to debt servicing
• security in food, water, energy supply
• efficient legal system .. accessible [affordable] to the public
• weather .. not extreme or disastrous like heat waves, hurricanes, flooding
• [i] flood control .. esp. in tropical locations
• [i] clean streets .. with some landscaping
• .. adequate green spaces .. esp. relevant in cities
• walkable, bike-friendly … not car-first !
• plenty of exercise facilities .. swimming, stadium, jogging paths…
• [i] electricity and internet connectivity .. reliable (weather proof), fast, affordable,
• [i] public transport .. reliable, extensive (re Bayonne), frequent, cost-efficient [affordable]. Grandma often points out the MRT lifts
• [f] stable currency, inflation
• [f] low GST, low property tax, low utility bills
• [i] accessibility for those in need
• universal and inclusive education for 9+ years. Special needs education, leaving no one behind.
• [i] pollution control .. air, water, noise
• [i] public healthcare .. accessible, affordable
• [i] congestion control .. often comes with high /tariff/ on gas or car ownership
• street safety .. crime rate,
• PPP-adjusted median household income after tax?

— More importantly, here are examples of Not “widely agreed” advantages. Many of them are based on FOMO[F] or exclub[e]

• [e] home to world-class universities/companies? Perhaps parents would envy another country with many world-class colleges… But look at European nations, Japan,
• [F] a country with pockets of tech innovation? But the locals (as compared to foreign talents) may not be able to benefit. Perhaps young citizens would lament their country’s relatively backward technology but.. Hey, technology is a race! Inevitably, only a small number of national can be leaders. Many developed (and widely envied) nations are technology adopters rather than innovators, in most technology domains.
• [F] infrastructure .. Perhaps many (including outside observers) would not feel lucky/enviable about limited infrastructure esp. if less connected… But I think some remote island states (NZ, Japan) can be quite prosperous and comfortable. On the other hand, healthcare infrastructure (including sanitation) is a key livelihood feature.
• natural resources? Look at Japan, Korea, Macau,
• population density .. there are advantages to dense or sparse locations
• athletic ranking .. (adjusted by population)

—  Q (related): What nationality is enviable esp. in terms of healthy longevity?

Whenever we compare different passports and identify the handful of lucky nationalities, each of us tends to focus on a specific aspect. There are a wide range of factors. Here I want to explore in and around an important area i.e. healthy longevity.

If a nationality is associated with 1) longevity and 2) “adequate” livelihood, then it would be a subject of envy by most standards.