The Scandinavian country topped the latest Human Development Index, compiled by the United Nations Development Program. The HDI tries to quantify "quality of life" by looking at factors like life expectancy, literacy rates, school enrollment and per capita gross domestic product in 182 countries around the world. Norway topped the list, followed by Australia and Iceland - though the UNDP notes that the latest HDI was based on data from 2007, before the global recession and the collapse of Iceland's financial industry sector that led to the nation's bankruptcy late in 2008.
In case you're wondering, the United States finished 13th, while Niger had the dubious honor of coming in dead last.
Overall, UNDP said that since starting the HDI in 1980, they've seen an average growth of 15% in individual nation's scores, meaning the quality of life around the globe, in very broad terms, is improving. China, Nepal and Iran have shown the greatest long-term HDI improvement.
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