Magazine: Ireland is Best Place to Live

People in Ireland were found to be the happiest due to the country's combination of increasing wealth and traditional values. "Ireland wins because it successfully combines the most desirable elements of the new, such as low unemployment and political liberties, with the preservation of certain cosy elements of the old, such as stable family and community life," writes the magazine. Ireland was followed by Switzerland, Norway, Luxembourg and Sweden. The research was based not only on income, but also on health, freedom, unemployment, family life, climate, political stability and security, gender equality and family and community life. Britain was ranked 29th, which is the lowest among the pre-expansion EU nations. France and Germany also did not do that well coming in at 25th and 26th place respectively. Among the top ten countries only one, Australia, was not a European country. According to the survey, the worst place to live is Zimbabwe. (EUobserver.com)