KATHMANDU; Nepal has moved up only two places to be 127th on the list of best countries in the world to live in.

According to the 2010 Quality of Life Index, published by travel magazine ‘International Living ‘ in the first week of January, Nepal has, however, made a significant progress in economy scoring 42 points in 2010 index.

The country posted only 26 points in 2009 in the same category. Interest rates, GDP, GDP growth rate, GDP per capita, the inflation rate, and GNP per capita were considered to determine each country’s economy score.

According to the United Nations, Nepal ranked 144th on Human Development Index in 2009. In 2008, it was ranked 142nd. The Human Development Index has increased from 0.471 in 2006 to 0.509 in 2009. Nepal ranks last among the South Asian countries on the HDI.

The HDI, a summary indicator of people’s well-being — combining measures of life expectancy, literacy, school enrolment and GDP per capita — was calculated for 182 countries and territories, the most extensive coverage ever.

According to International Living survey, Nepal’s performance on citizens’ political rights and civil liberties has improved, gaining 50 points on the freedom front. The country recorded

only 42 points last year and 25 in 2008 and 2007 indexes.

Neighbouring India is the 88th best country in the world to live in and the second best place after Bhutan to live in in the sub-continent, leaving behind nations like Russia and China. Cost of living in Nepal is less than neighbouring India and China. In cost of living category, Nepal got 73 points while India scored only 65.

Other countries of the sub-continent, Bhutan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Burma got 80, 56, 65, 64, 63 and 75 points, respectively, in the category. Sweden scored a zero in the category becoming the most expensive country to live in.

Being 25th best place to live in, the United States of America, which is the base for the category, got 56 points, 17 less than Nepal. According to information from the International Living website, the figure tells “how much it will cost you to live in a style comparable to — or better than — the standard of living you’re likely enjoying in the US.”

Nepal secured 64 points on risk and safety front for the fourth consecutive year. The index gave zero points to the Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan, describing them as the most unsafe nations.

On average annual rainfall, as well as temperature and its risk for natural disasters, Nepal has not improved its position in the climate tally. This year the country got only 71 points compared to 90 last year.

In the environment ,category Nepal got 68 points, compared to 75 in 2007. According to the magazine, the category describes the population density per square kilometre, population growth rate, greenhouse emissions per capita, and the percentage of total land that is protected.

The index, published for the 30th year, ranks 194 nations in nine categories: cost of living, culture and leisure, economy, environment, freedom, health, infrastructure, safety and risk, and climate.

France topped the poll for the fifth consecutive year in the magazine’s annual quality of life index for 2010, followed by Australia, Switzerland, Germany, New Zealand, Luxembourg, the US, Belgium, Canada and Italy. Somalia ranked lowest at 194th, with Yemen and Sudan at 192nd.

The survey analysed the data in reports like UNESCO Statistical Yearbook, Freedom in the World, Annual Survey of Political Rights and Civil Liberties, United States Department of Commerce, US State Department, United Nations

Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention, Freedom House

Survey, Statistical Abstract of the United States, World Factbook, World Almanac and Book of Facts, US Department of State Indexes of Living Costs Abroad, Quarters Allowances, and Hardship Differentials, The World Health Organization and The Economist World in Figures.

“This isn’t about best value, necessarily. It’s about the places in the world where the

living is, simply put, great,” claims the magazine, which is based in Ireland.