They Say Ireland's theBest

Ireland is the best place in the world to live in for2005,according to a life quality ranking that appeared in Britain's Economist magazine lastweek.

The ambitiousattempt to compare happiness levels around the world is based on the principlethat wealth is not the only measure of human satisfaction and well-being.

The index of thecountries uses data on incomes,health,unemployment,climate,politicalstability,job security,gender equality as well as what the magazine

calls“freedom,familyand community life”.

Despite the badweather,troubled health service,traffic congestion,gender inequality,and thehigh cost of living,Ireland scored an impressive 8 .33 points out of 10.

That put it wellahead of second-place Switzerland,whichmanaged 8 .07 .Zimbabwe,trou-bled by political insecurity and hunger,is ratedthe gloomiest,picking up only 3 .89

points.

“Althoughrising incomes and increased individual choices are highly valued,”the reportsaid,“some of the factors associated with modernization such as the breakdownin

traditionalin-stitutions and family values in part take away from a positive impact.”

“Ireland winsbecause it successfully combines the most desirable elements of the new withthe preservation of certain warm elements of the old,such as stable family and

community life.”

The magazineadmitted measuring the quality of life is not a straight forward thing todo,and that its findings would have their critics.

No. 2 on the list isSwitzerland.The other nations in the top 10 are Norway,Luxembourg, Sweden,Australia,Iceland,Italy,Denmarkand Spain.

The UK ispositioned at No.29,a much lower position chiefly because of the social andfam-ily breakdown recorded in official statistics.The US,which has the secondhighest

per capita GDP afterLuxembourg,tookthe 13th place in the survey.China was in the lower half the league at 60th.The United States of Americais among the top 10 countries.

A.Right

B. Wrong

C. Not mentioned