In this Wednesday, July 23, 2014 photo, UN Development Program Administrator Helen Clark of New Zealand gestures while speaking during an interview in Tokyo.
In its annual report on human development, the United Nations Development Program ranks 187 countries based on measures such as the health and longevity of their people, education and income, and personal security. Since 1990, those measures have been compiled into the agency's index of human development that is watched by governments around the world. Here are some of highlights from its latest global rankings:
- THE BEST
Top ranked is Norway, followed by Australia, Switzerland, the Netherlands and the United States.
- THE WORST
The five lowest ranked countries are Sierra Leone, Chad, Central African Republic, Congo and at No. 187, Niger.
- UNRANKED
Countries for which small size or a lack of data prevents adequate analysis include North Korea, Somalia, South Sudan and Monaco.
- MOST EQUAL
Slovenia ranks first in gender equality, a figure taking into account factors such as maternal death rates and teen pregnancies, followed by Switzerland, Germany and Sweden. The US is ranked 47th, Japan 25th.
- SUICIDE RATE
Kazakhstan leads at 43 per 100,000, followed by Hungary, Latvia, South Korea and Guyana.
- HIGHEST RATE OF IMPRISONMENT
The United States is the most prolific jailer, at 716 people per 100,000. The next highest are St. Kitts and Nevis and the Seychelles, Cuba and Rwanda.
- OVERALL LIFE SATISFACTION
At the top: Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, and the Netherlands. At the bottom: Togo, followed by Syria, Benin, Rwanda and Madagascar.