The U.S. ranks 12th in prosperity

According to the Legatum Institute, the United States ranks twelfth in prosperity, out of one hundred forty-two countries ranked in that category. Norway ranks first. The eleven countries more prosperous than the United States are:

1. Norway
2. Denmark
3. Sweden
4. Australia
5. New Zealand
6. Canada
7. Finland
8. Netherlands
9. Switzerland
10. Ireland
11. Luxembourg

The U.S. ranks 11th in happiness

According the the Earth Institute at Columbia University, the United States ranks eleventh in the “Average Cantril Ladder,” a measure of happiness. Denmark ranks first. The top ten countries are:

1. Denmark
2. Finland
3. Norway
4. Netherlands
5. Canada
6. Switzerland
7. Sweden
8. New Zealand
9. Australia
10. Ireland

The U.S. ranks 23rd in Women’s Index

According to Save the Children’s publication, State of the World’s Mothers 2010, the United States ranks twenty-third out of forty-three “more developed countries” in the “Women’s Index” ranking. The top ten countries are:

1. Australia
2. Norway
3. New Zealand
4. Denmark
5. Iceland
6. Finland
7. Sweden
8. Ireland
9. Netherlands
10. United Kingdom

The U.S. ranks 46th in civil liberties

According to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index 2010, the United States has a civil liberties score of 8.53 out of a possible score of 10.00. This makes the United States tied for forty-sixth in democracy with Italy, South Africa, France, and Hungary. Several countries tied for first with a score of 10.00, including Norway, Sweden, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Ireland and Uruguay. The United States has the lowest civil liberties of any fully democratic country.

The U.S. ranks 11th in televisions

According to the World Bank, 98% of U.S. households had a television in 2005, which makes the United States tied for eleventh with Ireland, Malta, Poland, Latvia, Iceland, Turkey, Netherlands, Hungary, and Lithuania. Greece and Portugal tied for first, both with 100% of households having at least one television.

The U.S. ranks 22nd in investment freedom

According to the Heritage Foundation’s 2010 Index of Economic Freedom, the United States has an “investment freedom” score of 75, which makes the United States tied for twenty-second in that category with several other countries, including Armenia, Austria, Canada, El Salvador, Finland, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Romania, Singapore, and Uruguay. Ireland and Luxembourg are tied for first, with a score of 95.

The U.S. ranks 13th in human development

According to the United Nations 2009 Human Development Report, the United States ranks thirteenth in human development, which is a drop of one place from last year. Norway ranks first. Here are the top 15 countries:

1) Norway

2) Australia

3) Iceland

4) Canada

5) Ireland

6) Netherlands

7) Sweden

8 France

9) Switzerland

10) Japan

11) Luxembourg

12) Finland

13) United States

14) Austria

15) Spain

The U.S. ranks 40th in low maternal death risk

According to UNICEF, the lifetime maternal death risk in the United States is 1 in 4800, which makes the United States tied for fortieth with Belarus in that category. Ireland ranks first, with a lifetime maternal death risk rate of 1 in 47,600.

The U.S. ranks 34th in maternal survival

According to the United Nations Population Fund, the United States has a maternal death rate of 11 for every 100,000 live births, which makes it tied for thirty-fourth (with Bulgaria, Lithuania, and Portugal) in terms of maternal survival rates. Ireland ranks first, with only one maternal death for every 100,000 live births.

The U.S. ranks 49th in civil liberties

According to the Economist Intelligence Unit Democracy Index 2008, the United States is tied with Romania for forty-ninth in civil liberties. Several countries–Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and Norway–are tied for first.