Search

The 16 countries with the world's best healthcare systems

The 16 countries with the world's best healthcare systems
Source: Photoshd

The Legatum Institute, a London-based research institute released its 10th annual global Prosperity Index in November, a huge survey that ranks the most prosperous countries in the world.

The organisation compares 104 variables to come up with its list, splitting those variables into nine subindexes. One of the big components of the ranking is how healthy a country's people are.

Health is measured by three key components by the Legatum Institute: a country's basic mental and physical health, health infrastructure, and the availability of preventative care.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the countries that have the best scores in the Prosperity Index, and therefore rank as the world's healthiest, are generally big, developed economies with large amounts of resources.

Britain — whose NHS pioneered free at the point of use healthcare globally — misses out on this list, finishing 20th in the Legatum Institute's health sub-index.

Take a look at the top 16 countries below:

16. CANADA — CANADA'S 1984 HEALTH ACT ENTRENCHES IN LAW THE COUNTRY'S SYSTEM OF FREE AT THE POINT OF ACCESS HEALTHCARE, KNOWN AS MEDICARE. CANADA'S SYSTEM IS NOT PERFECT HOWEVER, AND IN RECENT YEARS THE NUMBER OF CANADIANS GOING SOUTH FOR PRIVATE CARE IN THE USA HAS GROWN.

The Erie Otters ice hockey team sit on the bench during the first period of an OHL game against the Niagara IceDogs at the Meridian Centre on October 6, 2016 in St Catherine's, Ontario, Canada. Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images
The Erie Otters ice hockey team sit on the bench during the first period of an OHL game against the Niagara IceDogs at the Meridian Centre on October 6, 2016 in St Catherine's, Ontario, Canada. Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images

 

15. QATAR — THE BEST STANDARDS OF HEALTH IN THE MIDDLE EAST CAN BE FOUND IN THE WEALTHY NATION OF QATAR. THE NATION HAS RECENTLY TAKEN STEPS TO IMPLEMENT A UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM ACROSS THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.

Pupils at the Amna Mahmoud Al Jeddah Primary Independant School for Girls wait for the arrival of the Duchess of Cornwall on day four of the Royal tour to the Middle East in Doha, Qatar. Chris Jackson PA Archive/PA Images
Pupils at the Amna Mahmoud Al Jeddah Primary Independant School for Girls wait for the arrival of the Duchess of Cornwall on day four of the Royal tour to the Middle East in Doha, Qatar. Chris Jackson PA Archive/PA Images

14. FRANCE — FAMED FOR THE QUALITY OF ITS HEALTH SERVICES, IT IS NOT SURPRISING TO SEE FRANCE CLOSE TO THE TOP OF THE PILE. THE COUNTRY'S AVERAGE LIFE EXPECTANCY IS 82.

France is welcoming British finance firms with open arms. AP Photo/Claude Paris
France is welcoming British finance firms with open arms. AP Photo/Claude Paris

13. NORWAY — NORWAY, ALONG WITH ITS SCANDINAVIAN COUNTERPARTS, OFTEN COMES CLOSE TO GLOBAL QUALITY OF LIFE RANKINGS, AND ONE REASON IS THE HEALTH OF ITS CITIZENS. THE COUNTRY'S HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IS FREE FOR CHILDREN UNDER 16, BUT ADULTS MUST PAY FOR SERVICES. THE COUNTRY SPENDS MORE PER PERSON ON HEALTHCARE THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY ON EARTH.

Norway, always ranks high | reuters
Norway, always ranks high | reuters

12. NEW ZEALAND — NEW ZEALAND IS ONE OF THE MOST ACTIVE COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD, WITH THE NATION PUNCHING WELL ABOVE ITS WEIGHT IN INTERNATIONAL SPORTING COMPETITIONS. IT HAS AN AVERAGE LIFE EXPECTANCY OF 81.6 YEARS.

A group of school children perform their Haka for the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall at the Bukekura Park in New Plymouth, New Zealand. John Stillwell PA Archive/PA Images
A group of school children perform their Haka for the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall at the Bukekura Park in New Plymouth, New Zealand. John Stillwell PA Archive/PA Images

11. BELGIUM — WITH AN AVERAGE AGE OF 81.1, BELGIUM'S LIFE EXPECTANCY IS JUST OUTSIDE THE WORLD'S TOP 20. THE COUNTRY HAS UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE, BUT ALSO REQUIRES MANDATORY HEALTH INSURANCE FOR ALL CITIZENS.

Brussels | shutterstock
Brussels | shutterstock

10. GERMANY — DESPITE A LOVE OF BEER AND SAUSAGES, GERMANS ARE SOME OF THE WORLD'S HEALTHIEST PEOPLE. THE COUNTRY'S AVERAGE LIFE EXPECTANCY IS 81.

Visitors enjoy a beer during the opening day of the 181st Oktoberfest in Munich September 20, 2014. Reuters
Visitors enjoy a beer during the opening day of the 181st Oktoberfest in Munich September 20, 2014. Reuters

9. ISRAEL — ISRAEL IS THE HIGHEST RANKED OF ANY MIDDLE EASTERN STATE ON THE LEGATUM INSTITUTE'S HEALTH SUB-INDEX, AND THE COUNTRY HAS THE 8TH HIGHEST LIFE EXPECTANCY ON THE PLANET, 82.5 YEARS.

Israelis watch a fireworks show during celebrations marking Israel's 68th Independence Day in the southern city of Ashkelon, May 11, 2016. REUTERS/Amir Cohen
Israelis watch a fireworks show during celebrations marking Israel's 68th Independence Day in the southern city of Ashkelon, May 11, 2016. REUTERS/Amir Cohen

8. AUSTRALIA — WITH GREAT WEATHER AND LOW POLLUTION, IT IS NOT SURPRISING THAT AUSTRALIA IS RANKED AS THE HEALTHIEST NATION IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE. ITS AVERAGE LIFE EXPECTANCY IS 82.8, THE 4TH HIGHEST IN THE WORLD.

AP Photo/Rick Rycroft
AP Photo/Rick Rycroft

7. HONG KONG — THE TINY CITY-STATE OF HONG KONG HAS 11 PRIVATE AND 42 PUBLIC HOSPITALS TO SERVE ITS POPULATION OF JUST OVER 7.2 MILLION PEOPLE. IN 2012, WOMEN IN HONG KONG HAD THE LONGEST AVERAGE LIFE EXPECTANCY OF ANY DEMOGRAPHIC ON EARTH.

Graduated students of Hong Kong Polytechnic University have their pictures taken in front of a wall with messages of support for the pro-democracy movement in the part of Hong Kong's financial central district protesters are occupying October 31, 2014. Reuters/Damir Sagolj
Graduated students of Hong Kong Polytechnic University have their pictures taken in front of a wall with messages of support for the pro-democracy movement in the part of Hong Kong's financial central district protesters are occupying October 31, 2014. Reuters/Damir Sagolj

 

6. SWEDEN — AS WITH MOST QUALITY OF LIFE AND HEALTH RANKINGS, NORTHERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES LIKE SWEDEN SCORE HIGHLY. SWEDISH MEN HAVE THE 4TH HIGHEST LIFE EXPECTANCY OF ANY NATION, LIVING TO AN AVERAGE OF 80.7 YEARS.

Sarah Sjostrom, Michelle Coleman, Jennie Johansson and Louise Hansson of Sweden celebrate winning the silver medal in the Women's 4x100m Medley Relay Final on day sixteen of the 16th FINA World Championships at the Kazan Arena on August 9, 2015 in Kazan, Russia. Getty
Sarah Sjostrom, Michelle Coleman, Jennie Johansson and Louise Hansson of Sweden celebrate winning the silver medal in the Women's 4x100m Medley Relay Final on day sixteen of the 16th FINA World Championships at the Kazan Arena on August 9, 2015 in Kazan, Russia. Getty

 

 

5. NETHERLANDS — IN 2015 THE NETHERLANDS GAINED THE NUMBER ONE SPOT AT THE TOP OF THE ANNUAL EURO HEALTH CONSUMER INDEX, WHICH COMPARES HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS IN EUROPE, SCORING 916 OF A MAXIMUM 1,000 POINTS

Farmworkers look for dead flowers in Dutch tulip fields in Noordwijk, the Netherlands April 24, 2010. REUTERS/Michael Kooren
Farmworkers look for dead flowers in Dutch tulip fields in Noordwijk, the Netherlands April 24, 2010. REUTERS/Michael Kooren

 

4. JAPAN — THE COUNTRY'S LIFE EXPECTANCY — 83.7 — IS THE HIGHEST ON THE PLANET. THAT HAS CAUSED DEMOGRAPHIC ISSUES IN THE COUNTRY, WITH ITS POPULATION AGEING RAPIDLY.

Reuters/POOL
Reuters/POOL

 

3. SWITZERLAND — RICH, BEAUTIFUL, AND INCREDIBLY HEALTHY. SWITZERLAND HAS PRETTY MUCH ALL ANYONE COULD WANT FROM A COUNTRY. ITS HEALTHCARE SERVICE IS UNIVERSAL AND IS BASED UPON THE MANDATORY HOLDING OF HEALTH INSURANCE BY ALL CITIZENS.

Workers prepare a rink of shavings during the Federal Alpine Wrestling Festival (Eidgenoessisches Schwing- und Aelplerfest) in Estavayer-le-Lac August 28, 2016. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich
Workers prepare a rink of shavings during the Federal Alpine Wrestling Festival (Eidgenoessisches Schwing- und Aelplerfest) in Estavayer-le-Lac August 28, 2016. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich

2. SINGAPORE — ANOTHER SMALL CITY-STATE TO MAKE THE TOP OF THE PROSPERITY INDEX'S HEALTH SUB-INDEX. SINGAPORE'S 5.6 MILLION CITIZENS HAVE AN AVERAGE LIFE EXPECTANCY OF 83.1 YEARS OLD.

The skyline of Singapore's central business district is seen at dusk as operations continue at a PSA International port terminal in Singapore September 25, 2013. Connected to more than 600 ports in some 120 countries, Singapore is one of the world's busiest shipping hubs, and is often called the gateway to Asia. It plans to increase its total capacity dramatically as it competes with other massive ports in the region such as Shanghai, Hong Kong and Shenzhen in China and Busan in South Korea. Picture taken September 25, 2013. REUTERS/Edgar Su
The skyline of Singapore's central business district is seen at dusk as operations continue at a PSA International port terminal in Singapore September 25, 2013. Connected to more than 600 ports in some 120 countries, Singapore is one of the world's busiest shipping hubs, and is often called the gateway to Asia. It plans to increase its total capacity dramatically as it competes with other massive ports in the region such as Shanghai, Hong Kong and Shenzhen in China and Busan in South Korea. Picture taken September 25, 2013. REUTERS/Edgar Su

 

1. LUXEMBOURG — NESTLED BETWEEN BELGIUM, FRANCE, AND GERMANY, THE WEALTHY NATION OF LUXEMBOURG TOPS THE LEGATUM INSTITUTE'S HEALTH SUB-INDEX. THE COUNTRY'S AVERAGE LIFE EXPECTANCY IS 82.

Luxembourg City in the winter. Barbara Tasch
Luxembourg City in the winter. Barbara Tasch

 

Source : Business Insider

 
Akhyari Hananto

I began my career in the banking industry in 1997, and stayed approx 6 years in it. This industry boost his knowledge about the economic condition in Indonesia, both macro and micro, and how to More understand it. My banking career continued in Yogyakarta when I joined in a program funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB),as the coordinator for a program aimed to help improve the quality of learning and teaching process in private universities in Yogyakarta. When the earthquake stroke Yogyakarta, I chose to join an international NGO working in the area of ?disaster response and management, which allows me to help rebuild the city, as well as other disaster-stricken area in Indonesia. I went on to become the coordinator for emergency response in the Asia Pacific region. Then I was assigned for 1 year in Cambodia, as a country coordinator mostly to deliver developmental programs (water and sanitation, education, livelihood). In 2009, he continued his career as a protocol and HR officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Surabaya, and two years later I joined the Political and Economic Section until now, where i have to deal with extensive range of people and government officials, as well as private and government institution troughout eastern Indonesia. I am the founder and Editor-in-Chief in Good News From Indonesia (GNFI), a growing and influential social media movement, and was selected as one of The Most Influential Netizen 2011 by The Marketeers magazine. I also wrote a book on "Fundamentals of Disaster Management in 2007"?, "Good News From Indonesia : Beragam Prestasi Anak Bangsa di dunia"? which was luanched in August 2013, and "Indonesia Bersyukur"? which is launched in Sept 2013. In 2014, 3 books were released in which i was one of the writer; "Indonesia Pelangi Dunia"?, "Indonesia The Untold Stories"? and "Growing! Meretas Jalan Kejayaan" I give lectures to students in lectures nationwide, sharing on full range of issues, from economy, to diplomacy Less
View all posts

Thank you for reading until here