The U.S. ranks 28th in Mothers’ Index

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

1. Norway
2. Australia
3. Iceland
4. Sweden
5. Denmark
6. New Zealand
7. Finland
8. Netherlands
9. Belgium
10. Germany (tie with Belgium)

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 17th in democracy

According to the Democracy Index 2010, the United States has a democracy score of 8.18 (out of 10 possible points), which makes the United States rank seventeenth out of one hundred sixty-seven countries ranked in that category. Norway ranks first, with a score of 9.80.

The U.S. ranks 20th in press freedom

According to Reporters Without Borders, the U.S. has a press freedom score of 6.75 which makes the United States rank twentieth out of one-hundred seventy-eight ranked countries. Several countries tied for first, with a score of 0.0, including Finland, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland.

The U.S. ranks 48th in motorcycle helmet use

According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 58% of motorcycle riders in the United States wear helmets, which makes the United States tied with Greece for forty-eighth out of the sixty-four countries who reported such data. Several countries tied for first, with an estimated 100% helmet use: Chile, Micronesia, Norway, Solomon Islands, Switzerland, and Zambia.

The U.S. ranks 17th in labor costs

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2007 the United States ranked seventeenth out of thirty four countries in terms of hourly wages for production workers in the manufacturing sector. Norway ranked first.

The U.S. ranks 64th in human security

According to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), the United States has a Human Security Index score of 0.738, which makes it rank sixty-fourth out of two hundred countries. Norway ranks first, with a score of 0.932.

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 2nd in natural gas production

According to the CIA World Factbook, the United States produces 18.1% of the world’s natural gas, which makes the United States rank second in that category. Russia ranks first, producing 21.6% of the world’s natural gas. Together, the top five countries–Russia, the United States, Canada, Iran, and Norway–produce 52.9% of the world’s natural gas.

The U.S. ranks 57th in electoral process and pluralism

According to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index, 2008, the United States has a score of 8.75 out of 10 in the measurement of electoral process and pluralism, which measures the fairness of elections as well as the free choice of candidates, and the transparency of campaigns. This score makes the United States tied for fifty-seventh, with Japan, South Africa, Israel, Argentina, Peru, and Guatemala.

The top-ranked country, all of which had a score of 10, are Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Denmark, Finland, New Zealand, Luxembourg, Australia, and Uruguay.