New research reveals that Finland may be a good destination for expats

The 2009 Legitum Prosperity Index reveals that Finland is the top-ranking destination of 104 nations as a result of a survey pertaining to democracy, social provisions, happiness and quality of life.

The prosperity index, which accounts for 90% of the world’s population, operates on the premise that a prosperous nation will be one that has both a high GDP and happy and healthy citizens. Data was derived from 79 different variables that were divided into 9 broad sub-indexes-

1. Economic Fundamentals
2. Entrepreneurship and Innovation
3. Democratic Institutions
4. Education
5. Health
6. Safety and Security
7. Governance
8. Personal Freedom
9. Social Capital

One of the survey’s major findings is that money, it appears, cannot buy happiness, with many financially stable countries having a population that are dissatisfied with their lives. An exception to this, however, can be observed in poorer countries where increases in income do appear to have a significant effect on people’s satisfaction. Six of the top ten destinations are in Europe, indicating that this area of the world may make an ideal expatriate destination. Commenting on the results, Dr. William Inboden, Senior Vice President of the Legatum Institute said, "Once again, we see that Europe represents the highest concentration of the world’s most prosperous nations, thanks to an impressive blend of economic progress and good quality of life." However, Dr. Inboden did progress to caveat this, "“the main centres of European population and economic growth are showing signs of potential weakness in important areas such as domestic security and governance. The Legatum Prosperity Index shows that Europe’s future prosperity will be assured by balancing economic progress and wellbeing, through pro-growth policies, strong social networks, strong public safety, and innovative and entrepreneurial citizens," he warned.

The top ten places in the world to live according to the Prosperity Index are as follows-

1. Finland
2. Switzerland
3. Sweden
4. Denmark
5. Norway
6. Australia
7. Canada
8. Netherlands
9. United States
10. New Zealand

Countries featuring at the bottom of the list are-

  95. Kenya
  96. Algeria
  97. Tanzania
  98. Nigeria
  99. Pakistan
  100. Cameroon
  101. Central African Republic
  102. Yemen
  103. Sudan
  104. Zimbabwe

Read the full article: http://www.prosperity.com/