Though America may be the "land of opportunity," Switzerland will be the best place to be born in 2013 according to a quality-of-life index from the Economist Intelligence Unit.
The EIU, a sister company to The Economist magazine, determines quality of life based on surveys of the population covering 11 factors including wealth, crime, family life, trust in government and the stability of the economy.
Income estimates for babies born in 2013 are based on projections for the year 2030, when those children will come of age.
With its small but very stable economy, Switzerland comes in first, wealthy, healthy and trusting of its public institutions. The United States, "where babies will inherit the large debts of the boomer generation, languishes back in 16th place," the EIU explains. Feeling the effects of the European monetary crisis, "the largest European economies, France (26), Germany (tied with the U.S. for 16) and Britain (27), don't do particularly well."
The quality-of-life index also reflects changes in the Middle East and North Africa, where "life expectancy continues to increase steadily and political freedoms have spread across the globe," though Nigeria comes in as the worst place for a baby to be born in 2013.
Other interesting ratings include China, coming in at 49, and Russia, coming in at 72.
Back in 1988, the United States was in first place, with France in second, and West Germany in third. Zimbabwe was last, with Iraq second to last and Iran third to last.
For a more detailed explanation of how these numbers are calculated, see "the lottery of life methodology."
All said, the takeaway from the index seems to be that in today's world, a country's stability and trust in public institutions results in the best quality of life for its citizens.
