Learn more about living abroad in International Living Postcards– your daily escape
Monday, Jan. 1, 2007
Where’s the best place in the world to live?
Depends who you ask.
* Grant Perry, our Kiwi-born Events Manager, boasts that his home country of New Zealand is the greatest place on earth. "Nowhere else compares for sheer natural beauty," swears Grant.
* British-born Euro-editor Leigh Fergus says she’ll never leave her adopted homeland of Paris, France. "Paris is the world’s most romantic city. When you’ve found the best, why keep looking?" she asks. (Unless, perhaps, one more practically minded might respond, you have an aversion to red tape, suffocating business practices, or crippling tax statutes…)
* My son Jackson insists he’ll spend the rest of his life in Ireland. He’s never leaving, says he. But he’s 7. Ask him the same question when he’s old enough to start worrying about things like property values…
The best place to live on earth depends not only on who you ask…but also, often, on when you pose the question.
For example, ask Jason Gaspero, one of our writers, what it’s like to live in London in June, and he’ll tell you:
"It doesn’t get any better than this."
Ask him, though, mid-January, when it’s dark by 4 p.m. and the drizzle never stops, and you’ll get a different response:
"’Gray’ is the only word to describe it," he’ll tell you. "That time of year I need palm trees."
World’s best quality of life? It’s a moving target…and a subjective concept.
Nevertheless, this time every year for the last 27, our editors have done their best to find a scientific, quantifiable response to the question.
The result?
Our Annual Quality of Life Index.
This year, we consider 193 countries in nine categories. Some of the results may surprise you.
Here’s a quick look at where some of this year’s winners rank, with hints to help you guess who’s wh
#2 – Vegemite on toast, mate!
#24 – Ikea, Volvo, Absolut, and Tiger Wood’s wife.
#31 – Where beer was invented.
#41 – Birthplace of the Olympics.
#70 – "Ya mon! We ‘bin bobsledding, mon!"
#83 – A phosphate rock in the South Pacific.
#109 – Fine cigars and vintage cars.
#117 – The world’s fastest distance runners.
#122 – One-sixth of the world’s population.
#132 – Where Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes recently honeymooned.
#145 – Where "Borat" is from.
#170 – North of the DMZ.
#189 – The setting of Leonardo diCaprio’s latest movie.
Find the answers–as well as the complete report on our 2007 Quality of Life findings–in the January 2007 print issue of International Living.
Read to find out:
* The 10 most miserable places on earth…
* The world’s five most dangerous cities…
* The world’s 10 most polluted cities…
* The world’s 10 biggest recyclers…
* The world’s 10 best (and worst) places to register a new company…
* The world’s 10 biggest cities…
* The world’s five most sparsely populated nations on earth…
Plus:
* The world’s 10 worst places to live on a budget…
* Where you’ll live longest…
* The world’s 10 fastest-growing cities…
* Where you’ll spend most to rent commercial space…
* Where your family is most safe…
* …and a whole lot more.
And that’s just the 2007 Annual Quality Of Life Index.
The January 2007 print edition of International Living also details:
* Four hot property markets in 2007…
* How to determine the right time to retire…
* How corruption affects the expat…
* Top health spas in Thailand…
* What it’s like to live in Arequipa, Peru…
* How to choose the right International School for your child…
* Top property picks in the world’s top five countries…
* …and much, much more.
And this is only the January 2007 issue!
Already an International Living print subscriber? I encourage you to dig right in this month’s issue. Download it here in PDF format.
And if you’re not yet a subscriber?
What in the world are you waiting for? Sign up here now.
Happy New Year,
Kathleen Peddicord
Publisher, International Living
[Don't miss out. Get your free IL Postcards subscription today.]
P.S. What’s my favorite place to be? That’s a tough one. If I had to choose today, I’d say it’s a toss-up between France and Panama. Though I adore Belize for its beaches…Nicaragua for its sunsets…Argentina for its culture…Ireland for its countryside…Croatia for its history…
