What are the best countries to live in?

The best countries in the world to live in, in my opinion, are either in Europe, North America or Australasia.
They all have their pros and cons.
But which countries are your favourites and why?
And how does Poland rate with you?
My personal opinion?
Poland rates about average.
I could live in Norrh America or Australia/ New Zealand but would have some serious concerns there.
I would be happier in Europe, but nice as France is, it has it''s problems, Spain, Italy and Greece are too hot, Scandiavia is too cold and the food is dreadful....

What are your opinions?

I like Germany....doesn't have to be Berlin....baltic coast maybe....Erzgebirge.....Heimat halt!

Still one of the most peaceful, well off, safe places on Earth. Elsewhere to hot or to cold or to many foreigners :)

California, New York...or New Zealand....all great places for holidays....but not for settling (for me that is).

@Bratwurst Boy
Yeah, I like Germany.

Is Switzerland not one of the most boring countries in the world to.live in?
Sure, comfortable lifestyle and great scenery, but the people and government are.so.boring and there is little social life.
And it is too clean!I
My.French.friends say.that.even the.cows in Switzerland wipe their own arses....

Hey, give them credit for trying...Remember that brilliant idea of a needle park? Only the very best would come...

Yeah, Swiss nuts.....

It's also expensive and not easy to settle in, even for Germans....

But boring hasn't mean to be something bad....safe is boring too! :)

As a kid/youth I spend most family holidays in Budapest, I have fond memories about Hungary.....but the language....no way!

It used to be Denmark.

So what happened?

Mishandled immigration, lax social regulations, and run-away , Americanization, the usual supects.

Do you mean Danes didn't invite enough of them?

Quite the opposite clearly! We see here the limits of over zealous liberalism. The once tolerant Danes voted for Pia Kjaergaard. Who wants to see Copenhagestan?

I'll take that over over-zealous anything else.

Usedom in sommer, Algarve in winter it is my future in 7-8 y.

South of France anytime for me..

In have been ton NewZeland for cpl of months and friends say its better.i doubt my whole family will agree but that would be my choice.

A place I'd like to visit.

For me, I'd happily move to France or Portugal, and if the language was easier, to Istanbul.

The people are more polite than australians, historically they treated the indigineous a lot better (the brittish signed a treaty with the maori and kia ora is said at the start of the 7pm news.) The weather and english style countryside suits the brits. You should check it out.

I am sure you would like it,they play cricket.drive on the left side etc,I would love to go there as my first love,my teacher lives there:with her family now:)

The United States of America is the number one choice as it has the biggest and best of everything.

A failing empire is not a good choice....

Murder rate.

No,JR,timeis are changing rather changed now.As i land in the US i get a feeling of landing in a third world.At EWR airport they put those I pad kind of things on every seat that you can order your food/aalcohol,pay there and someone will deliver your ,this time I saw almost 50% were not working already,the charging outlets by them are also not working.At JFK as you come out of the plane the carpet is old and worn out,gum stains on the side walk and those Jamaicans trying to hussle i you to get in there illegal cab to rip you.Pot holes on streets,and those ugly electric/cable wires hanging on almost every road.Lately NJMV dept relaxed car inspection laws for people with broken windshields,mirrors,bumpers are all over.Now in NJ they only inspect for emissions and you are good for 2/3 years.

I really can see the change,just like I use to see Poland developing after 2004.

The murder rate in the American sector of the US is actually lower than in France at 1 to 2 per 100k.

The murder rate in the African sector of the US is greater than 10 per 100k.

That airport (like Heathrow and CDG) is a dump compared to Schiphol, Madrid, Dubai or Istanbul.

@jon, either extreme is unhealthy.

The problem with that question is that it's quite subjective - and unless one has actually lived in the place, you can only imagine that you'd like living there. You can't know that you would until you do!

According to the United Nations Human Development Report the top ten best places to live are:

1 - Norway

2 - Ireland (tie)
2 - Switzerland (tie)

4 - Iceland (tie)
4 - Hong Kong (tie)

6 - Germany
7 - Sweden
8 - Australia (tie)
8 - Netherlands (tie)
10 - Denmark

And trotting along behind are:

13 - UK
17 - USA
35- Poland

The UN's HDR is one of the top resources for determining which countries have the happiest, healthiest, and most stable populations compared to everywhere else in the world.

Before or after the Chinese take-back-over?

Let me say the unsayable: all the best is white. HK is not a country so it should not be on the list.

That is a large area.
The Cote d'Azure is great for holidays but I wouldn't want to live there.
I love Provence and the Alpes Maritime.
Also the Camargue and if you go West to the Pyrenees and close to the the Spanish border there is the wonderful town of Collioure.

@Atch
Yes, you have the stats, but there are lies, damned lies and statistics.
Norway, Ireland and Switzerland in the top three?
You are having a laugh!
I have been to all those countries and would not live in any of them.
Out of the tnree, Ireland would be my favourite but the weather is awful.

I see that the UK is above the USA.... I doubt that too.
I reckon we are about equal and both above Ireland!

If you were born in a country and have spent all your life in it, regardless of some foreign trips or stays, you are patriotically and mentally compelled to feel it is the best of all. Simple. That is why I wouldn`t trade Poland for anything else. My country, my home, my castle etc.