Ireland 10th best place to live - but not for everyone

IRELAND has moved into the top 10 in the world's quality of life league for the first time - but the country remains one of the most unequal societies of all wealthy western nations.

The annual United Nations Human Development Report to be published today shows Ireland is placed 10th of 177 countries in the Human Development Index (HDI), which is assessed on key characteristics including income levels and standards of health and education.

The new rating means Ireland has moved up two places from last year and eight places in the last three years. In monetary terms alone, the country retains last year's rating of third place in the world after Luxembourg and Norway.

According to the report, Norway, which is awarded the overall top spot in the HDI, generated $36,600 (€29,583) in wealth per person in a year while Ireland produced $36,360 (€29,389) per person in the same period.

When all characteristics are taken into account, only Norway, Sweden, Australia, Canada, The Netherlands, Belgium, Iceland, the US, and Japan have a higher quality of life ranking than Ireland.

Wide disparities between rich and poor are a feature of the country's performance, however. The Human Poverty Index (HPI) ranks Ireland 16th with 12.3% of the population living below the poverty line, which means there has been no improvement in the position of low income households for the past six years.

Ireland also falls behind its wealthy companions in investment in healthcare and schooling. Spending on public health services accounted for 4.9% of national wealth, which places the country 23rd out of the top 25 nations, while the 4.3% put into public education gives a ranking of 21st.

Further inequalities are evident in the position of women, who are among the worst off economically of all Western nations, earning on average less than half that of their male counterparts.

Women are also seriously under-represented in parliament and in senior management positions but are vastly over-represented in the lower-paid service industries.

When all factors are combined, the Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM) puts Ireland in 16th place.

Other inconsistencies with the country's top 10 overall placing include its record on immunisation. With just 73% of infants vaccinated against measles, Ireland falls to 29th out of the top 30 countries.

Most of the statistics quoted are two years old but the report, released simultaneously in all participating countries around the globe today, is considered the most authoritative annual state-of-the-world assessment.

This year's report includes an examination of immigration matters and calculates that Europe, with its declining birth rates, will need to double its intake of immigrants over the next 45 years just to keep the continent's population at its current level.

The report, which carries a special message from former SDLP leader and Nobel Prize winner John Hume, also warns against the failure of countries to properly assimilate migrants.

It cites the Northern Ireland conflict, which erupted over civil rights demands from Catholics, as an example of what can happen when minority populations are not treated equally.