Prosperity index shows emigrating to Australia means wealth and happiness

October 30 2009 by Liam Clifford

Moving to Australia has come towards the top of an index of the most prosperous countries in the world.

Australia has been ranked as the sixth most prosperous country in the Legatum Institute’s new index.

The index ranks each nation on wealth and happiness factors, and found Finland came top, followed by Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway. However, of the non-Scandinavian countries, Australia was ranked as the best place in the world to live in terms of happiness and wealth.

The index looked at 104 countries in total, analysing them against 79 variables including quality of life and material wealth.

The survey stated that the high-ranking countries are not necessarily the richest, but are those that have “happy, healthy and free citizens.” The results are a good indication as to why emigrating to Australia is so popular among people from the UK.

Emigrating to Australia was ranked in the top ten for variables including: personal freedom, health, safety and security, education, economic fundamentals and democratic institutions.

Emigrating to Canada is also a good choice if you want to be wealthy and happy, according to the index, which ranked Canada just after Australia - in seventh place.

The authors of the index hope that the results will offer some food for thought in terms of what constitutes success and prosperity and what makes a country a good place to live.

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