This country was named the best place in the world to live, for the 12th straight year

The United Nations has released its annual Human Development Index (HDI) and one Scandinavian utopia is on top for the 12th straight year. Norway again topped the HDI, which ranks 188 countries based on three dimensions of human development: health and life expectancy, access to knowledge and the average standard of living. Norway, for example, has a life expectancy of 81.6 years, its citizens average 12.6 years of schooling and it has a per capita income of $64,992. That latter number is part of the reason why it was also named the world's most prosperous country (for the seventh straight year).

Jens Wandel, the head of the UN Development Programme, said:

"Norway has over time managed to increase its income, and at the same time ensured that incomes are relatively evenly distributed [...] In addition, Norway has a high level of equality between men and women, and these things typically go hand in hand with a high human development level.”

The top ten included countries from Europe and North America, and that South Pacific power couple, Australia and New Zealand. On the opposite side of the Index, 24 of the bottom 25 countries are located in Africa. The five countries that had the lowest scores on the index were Niger, Central African Republic, Eritrea, Chad and Burundi.

For a look at the top 10 countries in the world, their life expectancies and per capita income, click through the photos below. And if you're ready to move to Norway, you'd better get in line, buddy. We were here first.

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