Canada again most desirable place to live, while Ireland ranks 17th on UN index

Canada remains the world's most desirable place to live, having topped the UN's main index of development for a record fifth year in a row. Ireland ranks 17th of 175 countries on the Human Development Index (HDI), the same as last year. The HDI, published today by the UN Development Programme, measures the quality of life in a country by taking a composite of measurements, including health and education facilities and life expectancy, rather than relying solely on indicators of financial wealth.

Canadians ranked first in overall health, general level of education and the degree to which an average person enjoys a decent standard of living. France and Norway follow in second and third places. The US is fourth, and Britain 14th.

At the other end of the scale, Sierra Leone, a country racked by civil war in recent years, occupies the bottom position. African countries also account for the next 14 places at the bottom.

Some developing countries, such as Barbados, Costa Rica and Korea, have almost caught up on the industrialised states. However, others have slipped back because of factors such as war, AIDS and economic decline.

Prepared in the midst of the biggest boom in the history of the West, this year's report takes a more positive view of consumption than in previous years.

"Abundance of consumption is no crime; it has in fact been the lifeblood of human advances," says the report's principal author, Dr Richard Jolly.

The real issue, he suggests, is not consumption, but its patterns and effects. "Gargantuan" excesses of consumption are placing unprecedented pressure on the environment and putting those who consume least in "double jeopardy". "The world is spending hundreds of billions of dollars yearly to fund its own destruction," Dr Jolly says.

The report questions the world's priorities in spending. It points out, for example, that $6 billion would pay for basic education for all in the world, yet Americans spend $8 billion a year on cosmetics alone.

Some $9 billion would pay for water and sanitation for all, yet Europeans spend $11 billion annually on ice cream.

Basic health and nutrition for the world would cost $13 billion, less than the $17 billion Europeans and Americans spend on pet food. But even these figures are insignificant alongside the $50 billion spent by Europeans on cigarettes, and $105 billion on alcohol. Drugs spending in the world exceeds $400 billion a year, and military spending $780 billion.

While more than one billion people fail to meet their basic requirements, the wealthiest one-fifth in the world consumes almost 60 per cent of energy, 45 per cent of all meat and fish, and own 87 per cent of all vehicles. A Western child will consume, waste and pollute more than 50 children in a developing country, yet the latter will bear the brunt of the environmental damage.

The report calls for a move to more sustainable consumption patterns that reduce environmental damage and regenerate renewable resources, such as fish or forests.

Canada also tops a separate "gender-related development index", which measures women's progress towards equality in societies. Norway and Sweden came next, and Ireland was in 27th place. Sweden had the highest female representation in politics and business, followed by Norway and Denmark.

According to the report, the wealth of the world's 225 richest people is equal to the annual income of half the world's population. The richest three people are wealthier than the poorest 48 countries.