Last updated March 8, 2025
When it comes to identifying the best countries to live in, various factors come into play. From economic stability to education and health standards, from political stability to personal rights and freedoms, many elements contribute to what makes a nation a great place to reside. Every year, a comparative tool known as the Human Development Index (HDI) analyzes these factors, generating insightful rankings of countries based on human well-being. HDI, developed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), measures average achievements across three basic dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, knowledge, and a decent standard of living. As a composite statistic of life expectancy, education, and per capita income indicators, the HDI offers multidimensional perspectives on the state of nations. Here are some key findings from the most recent HDI data:
Leading our list of the top 10 countries to live in based on their Human Development Index is Switzerland, with a staggering HDI value of 0.962. This high value represents Switzerland's consistently outstanding performance in key areas of human welfare: longevity, education, and standard of living. In close pursuit is Norway, with an HDI of 0.961, creating a neck-and-neck race for the top spot. Its socio-economic stability, coupled with its focus on health and education, has established Norway as one of the most desirable countries to reside in. The third spot on this distinguished list goes to the North Atlantic island nation of Iceland. With an HDI of 0.959. Hong Kong follows with an HDI of 0.952, fueled by its dynamic economy and widespread access to quality education and healthcare. Australia rounds out the top five with an HDI rating of 0.951, reflecting its strong economy, high life expectancy, and quality education system. The remainder of the list includes Denmark (0.948), Sweden (0.947), Ireland (0.945), Germany (0.942), and Netherlands (0.941). All of these countries showcase high standards of living, bolstered by strong healthcare and education structures, thereby earning their places in this elite club. Top 10 Countries to Live In:
HDI
0.462
Ranked in World
#182
HDI
0.789
Ranked in World
#74
HDI
0.745
Ranked in World
#93
HDI
0.884
Ranked in World
#35
HDI
0.591
Ranked in World
#150
HDI
0.826
Ranked in World
#54
HDI
0.849
Ranked in World
#48
HDI
0.786
Ranked in World
#76
HDI
0.946
Ranked in World
#10
HDI
0.926
Ranked in World
#23
HDI
0.760
Ranked in World
#90
HDI
0.820
Ranked in World
#57
HDI
0.888
Ranked in World
#34
HDI
0.670
Ranked in World
#129
HDI
0.809
Ranked in World
#62
HDI
0.801
Ranked in World
#69
HDI
0.942
Ranked in World
#12
HDI
0.700
Ranked in World
#118
HDI
0.504
Ranked in World
#173
HDI
0.681
Ranked in World
#125
HDI
0.698
Ranked in World
#120
HDI
0.779
Ranked in World
#80
HDI
0.708
Ranked in World
#114
HDI
0.760
Ranked in World
#89
HDI
0.823
Ranked in World
#55
HDI
0.799
Ranked in World
#70
HDI
0.438
Ranked in World
#185
HDI
0.420
Ranked in World
#187
HDI
0.600
Ranked in World
#148
HDI
0.587
Ranked in World
#151
HDI
0.935
Ranked in World
#18
HDI
0.661
Ranked in World
#131
HDI
0.387
Ranked in World
#191
HDI
0.394
Ranked in World
#189
HDI
0.860
Ranked in World
#44
HDI
0.788
Ranked in World
#75
HDI
0.758
Ranked in World
#91
HDI
0.586
Ranked in World
#152
HDI
0.806
Ranked in World
#64
HDI
0.878
Ranked in World
#39
HDI
0.764
Ranked in World
#85
HDI
0.907
Ranked in World
#29
HDI
0.895
Ranked in World
#32
HDI
0.481
Ranked in World
#180
HDI
0.952
Ranked in World
#5
HDI
0.515
Ranked in World
#171
HDI
0.740
Ranked in World
#97
HDI
0.766
Ranked in World
#82
HDI
0.765
Ranked in World
#83
HDI
0.728
Ranked in World
#105
HDI
0.674
Ranked in World
#127
HDI
0.650
Ranked in World
#133
HDI
0.493
Ranked in World
#175
HDI
0.899
Ranked in World
#31
HDI
0.610
Ranked in World
#143
HDI
0.492
Ranked in World
#176
HDI
0.729
Ranked in World
#104
HDI
0.942
Ranked in World
#13
HDI
0.910
Ranked in World
#28
HDI
0.693
Ranked in World
#123
HDI
0.495
Ranked in World
#174
HDI
0.814
Ranked in World
#61
HDI
0.950
Ranked in World
#8
HDI
0.602
Ranked in World
#145
HDI
0.893
Ranked in World
#33
HDI
0.793
Ranked in World
#73
HDI
0.629
Ranked in World
#136
HDI
0.471
Ranked in World
#181
HDI
0.483
Ranked in World
#179
HDI
0.742
Ranked in World
#95
HDI
0.552
Ranked in World
#158
HDI
0.624
Ranked in World
#138
HDI
0.956
Ranked in World
#4
HDI
0.851
Ranked in World
#47
HDI
0.959
Ranked in World
#3
HDI
0.644
Ranked in World
#134
HDI
0.713
Ranked in World
#112
HDI
0.780
Ranked in World
#78
HDI
0.673
Ranked in World
#128
HDI
0.950
Ranked in World
#7
HDI
0.915
Ranked in World
#25
HDI
0.906
Ranked in World
#30
HDI
0.534
Ranked in World
#166
HDI
0.706
Ranked in World
#115
HDI
0.920
Ranked in World
#24
HDI
0.736
Ranked in World
#99
HDI
0.802
Ranked in World
#67
HDI
0.601
Ranked in World
#146
HDI
0.628
Ranked in World
#137
HDI
0.847
Ranked in World
#49
HDI
0.701
Ranked in World
#117
HDI
0.620
Ranked in World
#139
HDI
0.879
Ranked in World
#37
HDI
0.723
Ranked in World
#109
HDI
0.521
Ranked in World
#168
HDI
0.487
Ranked in World
#177
HDI
0.746
Ranked in World
#92
HDI
0.942
Ranked in World
#14
HDI
0.879
Ranked in World
#38
HDI
0.927
Ranked in World
#21
HDI
0.487
Ranked in World
#178
HDI
0.508
Ranked in World
#172
HDI
0.807
Ranked in World
#63
HDI
0.762
Ranked in World
#87
HDI
0.410
Ranked in World
#188
HDI
0.915
Ranked in World
#26
HDI
0.731
Ranked in World
#102
HDI
0.540
Ranked in World
#164
HDI
0.796
Ranked in World
#72
HDI
0.781
Ranked in World
#77
HDI
0.634
Ranked in World
#135
HDI
0.763
Ranked in World
#86
HDI
0.741
Ranked in World
#96
HDI
0.844
Ranked in World
#50
HDI
0.698
Ranked in World
#121
HDI
0.461
Ranked in World
#183
HDI
0.608
Ranked in World
#144
HDI
0.610
Ranked in World
#142
HDI
0.696
Ranked in World
#122
HDI
0.601
Ranked in World
#147
HDI
0.946
Ranked in World
#11
HDI
0.939
Ranked in World
#16
HDI
0.669
Ranked in World
#130
HDI
0.394
Ranked in World
#190
HDI
0.548
Ranked in World
#162
HDI
0.765
Ranked in World
#84
HDI
0.966
Ranked in World
#2
HDI
0.819
Ranked in World
#59
HDI
0.540
Ranked in World
#165
HDI
0.797
Ranked in World
#71
HDI
0.716
Ranked in World
#111
HDI
0.820
Ranked in World
#58
HDI
0.568
Ranked in World
#154
HDI
0.731
Ranked in World
#103
HDI
0.762
Ranked in World
#88
HDI
0.710
Ranked in World
#113
HDI
0.881
Ranked in World
#36
HDI
0.874
Ranked in World
#42
HDI
0.875
Ranked in World
#41
HDI
0.593
Ranked in World
#149
HDI
0.827
Ranked in World
#53
HDI
0.821
Ranked in World
#56
HDI
0.548
Ranked in World
#161
HDI
0.838
Ranked in World
#51
HDI
0.725
Ranked in World
#108
HDI
0.772
Ranked in World
#81
HDI
0.702
Ranked in World
#116
HDI
0.867
Ranked in World
#43
HDI
0.613
Ranked in World
#141
HDI
0.875
Ranked in World
#40
HDI
0.517
Ranked in World
#169
HDI
0.805
Ranked in World
#65
HDI
0.802
Ranked in World
#68
HDI
0.458
Ranked in World
#184
HDI
0.949
Ranked in World
#9
HDI
0.855
Ranked in World
#45
HDI
0.926
Ranked in World
#22
HDI
0.562
Ranked in World
#156
HDI
0.380
Ranked in World
#193
HDI
0.717
Ranked in World
#110
HDI
0.929
Ranked in World
#19
HDI
0.381
Ranked in World
#192
HDI
0.911
Ranked in World
#27
HDI
0.780
Ranked in World
#79
HDI
0.516
Ranked in World
#170
HDI
0.690
Ranked in World
#124
HDI
0.952
Ranked in World
#6
HDI
0.967
Ranked in World
#1
HDI
0.557
Ranked in World
#157
HDI
0.679
Ranked in World
#126
HDI
0.532
Ranked in World
#167
HDI
0.803
Ranked in World
#66
HDI
0.566
Ranked in World
#155
HDI
0.547
Ranked in World
#163
HDI
0.739
Ranked in World
#98
HDI
0.814
Ranked in World
#60
HDI
0.732
Ranked in World
#101
HDI
0.855
Ranked in World
#46
HDI
0.744
Ranked in World
#94
HDI
0.653
Ranked in World
#132
HDI
0.550
Ranked in World
#159
HDI
0.734
Ranked in World
#100
HDI
0.937
Ranked in World
#17
HDI
0.940
Ranked in World
#15
HDI
0.927
Ranked in World
#20
HDI
0.830
Ranked in World
#52
HDI
0.727
Ranked in World
#106
HDI
0.614
Ranked in World
#140
HDI
0.699
Ranked in World
#119
HDI
0.726
Ranked in World
#107
HDI
0.424
Ranked in World
#186
HDI
0.569
Ranked in World
#153
HDI
0.550
Ranked in World
#160
Region ↕ | HDI 2022↕ |
---|---|
0.462 | |
0.789 | |
0.745 | |
0.884 | |
0.591 | |
0.826 | |
0.849 | |
0.786 | |
0.946 | |
0.926 | |
0.760 | |
0.820 | |
0.888 | |
0.670 | |
0.809 | |
0.801 | |
0.942 | |
0.700 | |
0.504 | |
0.681 | |
0.698 | |
0.779 | |
0.708 | |
0.760 | |
0.823 | |
0.799 | |
0.438 | |
0.420 | |
0.600 | |
0.587 | |
0.935 | |
0.661 | |
0.387 | |
0.394 | |
0.860 | |
0.788 | |
0.758 | |
0.586 | |
0.806 | |
0.878 | |
0.764 | |
0.907 | |
0.895 | |
0.481 | |
0.952 | |
0.515 | |
0.740 | |
0.766 | |
0.765 | |
0.728 | |
0.674 | |
0.650 | |
0.493 | |
0.899 | |
0.610 | |
0.492 | |
0.729 | |
0.942 | |
0.910 | |
0.693 | |
0.495 | |
0.814 | |
0.950 | |
0.602 | |
0.893 | |
0.793 | |
0.629 | |
0.471 | |
0.483 | |
0.742 | |
0.552 | |
0.624 | |
0.956 | |
0.851 | |
0.959 | |
0.644 | |
0.713 | |
0.780 | |
0.673 | |
0.950 | |
0.915 | |
0.906 | |
0.534 | |
0.706 | |
0.920 | |
0.736 | |
0.802 | |
0.601 | |
0.628 | |
0.847 | |
0.701 | |
0.620 | |
0.879 | |
0.723 | |
0.521 | |
0.487 | |
0.746 | |
0.942 | |
0.879 | |
0.927 | |
0.487 | |
0.508 | |
0.807 | |
0.762 | |
0.410 | |
0.915 | |
0.731 | |
0.540 | |
0.796 | |
0.781 | |
0.634 | |
0.763 | |
0.741 | |
0.844 | |
0.698 | |
0.461 | |
0.608 | |
0.610 | |
![]() | 0.696 |
0.601 | |
0.946 | |
0.939 | |
0.669 | |
0.394 | |
0.548 | |
0.765 | |
0.966 | |
0.819 | |
0.540 | |
0.797 | |
0.716 | |
0.820 | |
0.568 | |
0.731 | |
0.762 | |
0.710 | |
0.881 | |
0.874 | |
0.875 | |
0.593 | |
0.827 | |
0.821 | |
0.548 | |
0.838 | |
0.725 | |
0.772 | |
0.702 | |
0.867 | |
0.613 | |
0.875 | |
0.517 | |
0.805 | |
0.802 | |
0.458 | |
0.949 | |
0.855 | |
0.926 | |
0.562 | |
0.380 | |
0.717 | |
0.929 | |
0.381 | |
0.911 | |
0.780 | |
0.516 | |
0.690 | |
0.952 | |
0.967 | |
0.557 | |
0.679 | |
0.532 | |
0.803 | |
0.566 | |
0.547 | |
0.739 | |
0.814 | |
0.732 | |
0.855 | |
0.744 | |
0.653 | |
0.550 | |
0.734 | |
0.937 | |
0.940 | |
0.927 | |
0.830 | |
0.727 | |
0.614 | |
0.699 | |
0.726 | |
0.424 | |
0.569 | |
0.550 |