PHОТО: PHL

In its World Top 100 Countries rating, the US magazine Newsweek ranked 100 countries most suitable for living according to five categories of well-being: education, health, quality of life, economic competitiveness and the political environment. Ukraine was ranked 49th.

Ukraine was ranked a country with the highest quality of life among low income countries. Cuba is the winner in the same category, though among countries with a mid-level per capita income. Australia and Germany are the leaders among countries with high incomes.

Ukraine and Albania were ranked the most educated country among countries with low incomes according to literacy rates – 99% of the population in these countries is able to read and write.

Meanwhile, Japan was given first place in terms of the level of healthcare and fifth place in terms of education, thus outstripping the U.S., which spends over 5% of its GDP on educational needs as the Japanese government allocates only 3.5% of its GDP to education.

Finland took first place in the ranking, while Switzerland and Sweden were rated 2nd and 3rd respectively. The top 10 also includes Australia, Luxembourg, Norway, Canada, the Netherlands, Japan and Denmark.

The U.S. holds 11th place, Germany is in 12th, the UK is in 14th and France is 16th place. The Czech Republic is the most successful country in Northern and Eastern Europe (25th place in the general ranking), while Croatia is in 28th place and Poland was rated 29th.

Estonia is took 32nd place, Latvia – 36th, Ukraine – 49th, Cuba – 50th and Russia – 51st. The last 100th place went to Burkina Faso.