# NZ ranked 13th in the world :)



## MrsRose (May 23, 2012)

A study done by Newsweek which ranks the nations of the world according to overall scores in various areas of politics, economy, health, and education.

You can use the interactive graph to compare countries side by side. 



Interactive Infographic of the World's Best Countries - Newsweek and The Daily Beast


I found it fun and informative to compare the US with NZ. (since I'm from the Us and am interested in moving to NZ.) The US ranked higher than NZ overall, but I was encouraged to see that NZ scored higher than the US in many of the issues that are important to our family. I guess really though, there's no way to fairly compare the US to New Zealand. I mean...the sheer difference in size...NZ has a total population of just over 4 million, and the US has over 310 million. 

Anyways...just thought this would be a fun thing for al the expats to take a peek at.


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## carosapien (Oct 16, 2011)

Thanks Mrs Rose. I will have a play with it and see how it ranks according to my own priorities.

I'm surprised that New Zealand came so low on the overall rankings, scoring less that the United States, Australia and Japan. That appears to be a contrast to some of the other surveys you see published


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## Guest (Aug 20, 2012)

Good for NZ.

NZ must be the " Worlds Number On " for Iridescent coloured cars with
Big Bore Exhausts and Boy Racers at the wheel.

Reminds me of a Top Gear Film Set. Lol


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## MrsRose (May 23, 2012)

carosapien said:


> Thanks Mrs Rose. I will have a play with it and see how it ranks according to my own priorities.
> 
> I'm surprised that New Zealand came so low on the overall rankings, scoring less that the United States, Australia and Japan. That appears to be a contrast to some of the other surveys you see published


Does it seem the financial and economic scores in each sub-category had more of an impact on the overall score than did other factors? 

I can't figure out why the US ranks above NZ though, when NZ scored higher in health, education, and political environment, and only scored slightly less than the US in quality of life. Economy was the only area where the US really "out shined" New Zealand. 

I'm glad they published the sub-categories. According to the survey, overall, the US scored higher for quality of life than NZ...even though the US has a higher unemployment rate, higher rate of homicide, and a lower score in environmental health. But the consumption per capita sub-cat is where the US scores much higher.

I'm not too surprised that Australia outranks the Us and New Zealand. Australia seems to have many of the good qualities of the US (size, population, economy, affordability) AND New Zealand (health, beauty and environment, low crime rates, political stability).
I think if somewhere in the distant future, our family ever got the urge for another adventure (or if for whatever reason NZ doesn't work out for us) we'd probably give Australia a try rather than going back to the US.


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## MrsRose (May 23, 2012)

Higgy said:


> Good for NZ.
> 
> NZ must be the " Worlds Number On " for Iridescent coloured cars with
> Big Bore Exhausts and Boy Racers at the wheel.
> ...


Haha. I don't know about that. I live in Las Vegas. We sure see a lot of those here too.


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## anski (Aug 17, 2008)

MrsRose said:


> A study done by Newsweek which ranks the nations of the world according to overall scores in various areas of politics, economy, health, and education.
> 
> You can use the interactive graph to compare countries side by side.
> 
> ...


I must admit to only taking a very quick look at the link provided. However I have been in the US for the past 7 weeks in Boston, Washington DC, Napa Valley & currently San Francisco & I have been living as I would in NZ (buying & cooking most of our meals) eating out very occasionally, buying petrol, going to live music shows, buying clothes. So I feel qualified to comment on the differences experienced between the 2 countries. Everything has been cheaper here than NZ!

I have shopped at Safeway (where I seem to be constantly getting discounts & vouchers) & Costco, Ross Dress for Less & Outlet Malls.

Just to give you a few examples 
Milk US$3.35 gallon (3.78 litres) - NZ$4.40 2 litres 
Petrol US$ $4 gallon - NZ $2 per litre 
Red peppers US$1 each - NZ $3
Cooked whole Chicken US$4.99 - NZ $13-$16
Raw Chicken breasts (boneless & skinless) US$3.99 lb -NZ$18 kilo
I bought a large pack of Organic mixed lettuce US $3.30 - in NZ similar would cost probably treble, whats more it stayed fresh for 10 days in NZ I have to throw it away if I don't eat it all within a couple of days.
NZ wine decent Sav Blancs are cheaper here.

Clothing & shoe purchases have been amazing, my husband bought Timberland & Nike shoes for US$30, & we have bought lots of good quality clothing for so very little.
Electrical goods both small & big items are a fraction of the cost of NZ prices, if only they would operate in NZ I would buy all new white goods & ship them over. A matching pair of Maytag washing machine & dryer (choice of gas or electric US $1,500 the pair.
I bought a small notebook before leaving NZ on special in Dick Smith's for $350 in hindsight just a toy 1gb & takes all day to do anything same make here with 4gb is US$399 & 6gb US$499 (guess what will end up on Trademe on my return)
I could go on & on but hopefully you will get the picture I have found everything cheaper here.

If anyone wants to move from US to NZ for less population, the adventure or scenery then I can understand that but don't expect your cost of living to be the same, beware you will be much worse off financially.

Another thing I have found Americans much friendlier than Kiwi's who are very reserved, here so many total strangers have struck up conversation with us whilst out & about & until we answered they were not aware we were not fellow Americans. All the neighbours in the street we are living have welcomed us to their neighbourhood & invited us round for coffee & dinner etc.

We have lived in the same house in NZ for 11 years on & off & the only neighbour we know are the people living in a house behind ours, the rest of the people in our street only exchange a nod or good morning if walking by.


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## MrsRose (May 23, 2012)

*my rant about "food" in the US.*

You know the old saying, "You get what you pay for"? This absolutely applies when it comes to all that inexpensive food you're purchasing in the US. If you knew how it was made, and what was in that cheap food you're eating...you might not want to eat it anymore. 


That milk we buy for just 3.35 a gallon, is from cows that are generally fed (I say generally because there are some conventional dairy farms that still exist out there who raise free range cows on grass and without chemical additives and hormones, but these are very few and far between, and their products are typically not found in big chain grocery stores.) genetically modified/engineered corn instead of grass, and are exposed to chemicals and hormones that get into the milk we drink. 

And that super cheap chicken is raised in something I'd say is more comparable to a factory than a farm. chickens are kept in sunless chicken houses with hundreds and hundreds of other chickens so that there is room enough only to stand in their own defecation, fed GMO corn, and they are injected with antibiotics and hormones to increase growth and reduce maturity time. 

Fruits and vegetables (unless purchased organic from a health foods store) are grown in nutrient depleted, chemically altered soil (so that they can be grown year round, in and out of season) and covered with chemical fertilizers and pesticides, until they are picked for distribution, glazed with a waxy substance to enhance "fresh" appearance, and placed on big chain grocery store shelves (where they are sprayed often again to maintain "freshness." 

Pre-packaged foods here are the worst. Can you even pronounce half of the stuff listed on the ingredients list? I mean, you would think a can of bread crumbs would be just that...bread crumbs. Nope. That's a mighty long list of ingredients... 
Preservatives, chemical sweeteners, "natural" flavors, stabilizers...not much that is food. Not much that is anything other than toxic to your body. Much that keeps food "fresh" for a very long time. Much that makes food cheaper to produce so manufacturers can make a big profit. Chemicals that actually make you crave more of the garbage you're eating. 

Food in the US is a shady business, to say the least. Yeah, everything's dirt cheap (until you realize the crap you're eating and go organic only...in which case you no longer shop at Safeway, but at Whole Foods instead...which is affectionately referred to here as "Whole Paycheck."). The food is dirt cheap because it's massed produced using much that cannot really be called food and sold to our ridiculously consumer driven population of over 310 million. 

Americans have what is arguably some of the top healthcare technology in the world. We have access via books and internet to a wealth of health and well being information. But look around. Americans are also one of the unhealthiest industrialized nations in the world. More obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, degenerative diseases, etc... 
Why is that?

Could it be because Americans spend most of their lives eating one family-size portion of "cheap" American food per person, per meal? Think of all the unhealthy fats, chemicals, hormones, and other unnatural things that go into your body every time you eat that cheap American food. It's definitely not good for you. 

Food. If one can even call it that. 




ok. rant over.


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## MrsRose (May 23, 2012)

anski said:


> Another thing I have found Americans much friendlier than Kiwi's who are very reserved, here so many total strangers have struck up conversation with us whilst out & about & until we answered they were not aware we were not fellow Americans. All the neighbours in the street we are living have welcomed us to their neighbourhood & invited us round for coffee & dinner etc.
> 
> We have lived in the same house in NZ for 11 years on & off & the only neighbour we know are the people living in a house behind ours, the rest of the people in our street only exchange a nod or good morning if walking by.


This greatly depends on the region and city you're in. I experienced much friendliness and hospitality in some small town in Pennsylvania, and in parts of Texas. But in places like Sacramento, Southern california and Las vegas...not so much. Both in Sacramento and here in Las Vegas, there has never been much interaction from neighbors. (other than those lovely neighbors who like to decorate the neighborhood with graffiti, steal christmas decorations out of other neighbors' yards, etc. 

The US is a very big country. Some areas have very open and friendly people. Some don't. 


electronics and clothing, etc are definitely priced to sell here. And it's pretty easy to get quality goods at a super cheap price when you shop around. We just got a barely used Bowflex Extreme 2 home gym for $340 on Craigslist!  those things normally sell for around $2000.


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## anski (Aug 17, 2008)

MrsRose said:


> You know the old saying, "You get what you pay for"? This absolutely applies when it comes to all that inexpensive food you're purchasing in the US. If you knew how it was made, and what was in that cheap food you're eating...you might not want to eat it anymore.
> 
> 
> That milk we buy for just 3.35 a gallon, is from cows that are generally fed (I say generally because there are some conventional dairy farms that still exist out there who raise free range cows on grass and without chemical additives and hormones, but these are very few and far between, and their products are typically not found in big chain grocery stores.) genetically modified/engineered corn instead of grass, and are exposed to chemicals and hormones that get into the milk we drink.
> ...


Mrs Rose, I hear what you say & a lot of the remarks apply to many of the countries I have either lived in or visited in the past 20 years.


The fresh chicken & the lettuce I purchased were both organic not sure if you mean that not all organic products are equal or genuine. Or that Safeway & Costco sell products that are not genuine. I would have thought there was a food standard or licence required to word them as organic.

NZ has it's share of rubbish commercial food just as the rest of the world has & this is one of the reasons that the population in many countries worldwide is becoming obese. Wait until you see how obese some people are in NZ.

As long as people find it easier to consume a take away product that is often/sometimes cheaper than a home cooked meal you have problems. Certain take away food outlets advertise how little you can feed a family with their meals & not only in America but worldwide these days.

As a school girl over 50 years ago all of my class mates were slim with the exception of 1 girl (whom we were never unkind to but found her abnormal compared to the rest of us) & she always brought notes from her Mother excusing her from sports.
Our diet was very different then by comparison to today. If we went out with our families for the day we would take sandwiches, or salads & buy a watermelon, placing it in the river to cool down for later. Apart from buying an ice cream (which was a rare treat) we never bought take away food.
Most families kept their own chickens & grew their own fruit & vegetables (exchanging the surplus with neighbours who had other varieties. The milk man & the Rag & Bone man (he used to take away household junk) had horse drawn carts & my father used to follow the horses with a shovel to scoop up their droppings to enrich our veggie garden. My mother made most of our clothes I remember her knitting needles clicking away most nights as she made garments our the family of 6. They were good days BUT we did not have a washing machine, dishwasher, clothes dryer, refrigerator, vacuum cleaner etc or a car. Our house was spotless without the gadgets & we walked or rode our bicycles down country lanes at weekends gathering berries & mushrooms growing wild.

This was the life style of most in my neighbourhood BUT then it all changed, women went out to work & the extra income bought all those labour saving devices the glossy magazines & newly acquired televisions advertised. 

Then the women had less time to make clothes so they bought them, but by now clothes were becoming cheaper because of the huge female workforce now in the factories.

Then the take away food chains started appearing & at first people tried them because it was something new & fascinating. Then because households now had refrigeration, frozen foods were introduced & the working women saw how the modern methods were making her life even easier.

People have become lazier worldwide they eat more & excercise less & with all manner of home entertainment find it more enjoyable to sit & gorge than to do some activity & prepare a meal.

I did not watch TV until I was 21, growing up in South Africa we had no television but we had a great social life. Most nights we would go to either the pictures (dressed in evening attire, not jeans like today) dancing, there were so many live bands on weeknights to dance to, or we went visiting. We just popped in on each other for a chat or a round of cards & no invites required. 

I think the bottom line is you can still live healthy, most people can grow vegetables even in pots if living in an apartment. You can eat your own nutritious prepared meals & steer clear of junk food.

It's just that worldwide people have become lazy & seem to have less time to cook.


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## MrsRose (May 23, 2012)

I'm in my mid twenties. I don't even know what it's like to live in a society that is not inundated with technology, processed foods, and convenience services. 
The times and life you write of do sound like good days. 


The beef I have with the American Food and Drug Administration, and the foods produced and sold here, is that it's done in such a shady way. In European countries, people are aware of the existence of GMOs, and there are regulations in process to enforce strict labeling of such foods so that the people at least know what they are eating.

Here in the States, foods are touted as healthy that most certainly are not. And ingredient lists will include things like "natural flavors" and "spices" which are often just a name given for ingredients that are not natural, nor would you find them on any spice rack. 

There is so much false advertising and misleading information given and/or authorized by the FDA about our foods. And families like mine that choose to eat organic are poked fun at for "wasting on money on organic food when it's practically the same as other foods." I can't tell you how many times I've heard that argument. Many Americans are seriously convinced that the conventional and packaged foods they eat every day are normal and healthy. And the FDA and big food corporations are happy to have them believe that so long as it keeps their pockets full. 

Anyways...:focus:

Both NZ and the US have some very attractive qualities about them. And both have their downsides too. But there's really no comparing two countries that differ so greatly in size, population, and location. The US and NZ really are two totally different countries...with totally different cultures, economies, and political environments.


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## anski (Aug 17, 2008)

MrsRose said:


> I'm in my mid twenties. I don't even know what it's like to live in a society that is not inundated with technology, processed foods, and convenience services.
> The times and life you write of do sound like good days.
> 
> 
> ...


I agree with your last paragraph but don't be so hard on your own country.

I have been visiting America on a regular basis since 1995 & I am always moved by the flag & the Star Spangled Banner, I go to a little 4th of July celebration every year I am here & the moment the sing your national anthem I need tissues (lots of them) There are few countries in the world that display shows of patriotism like you do in America.

Australia has so many nationalities & religions they can no longer say & do many things because the country is becoming diluted & they cannot offend the minority of newly arrived migrants.

NZ with it's population of 4.5 million (correct me if I am wrong) also has a very high % of drugs, crime & domestic violence. Maybe even higher % than other countries if measured on per head of population.

Many visitors perceive NZ as safe, green & clean & run into problems with letting their guard down. NZ is great - with lots of beautiful scenery, wide open spaces, good food etc but it also has it's downsides.

I suppose the old saying "The grass is always greener on the other side" applies Don't worry I have fallen under the same spell many times that is why I have moved countries so much.


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## MrsRose (May 23, 2012)

That's an understandable argument. 

So which is your favorite country that you've lived in/been to so far?


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## anski (Aug 17, 2008)

I have so many favourites for very different reasons. If I could combine the best parts of each country I would have the perfect country.

However to answer your question

England - as a very young child with all the wonderful memories of life as it used to be growing up in a working class family.

South Africa- Cape Town for the era I grew up, the beautiful scenery & our wonderful friends (unfortunately the government in power at the time & their beliefs about apartheid ruined it in the end)
France- the South West region for it's beautiful countryside reminiscent of the way of life in was England 60 years before.
Spain-when we lived in one of the pretty "white villages" I am referring to the colour of houses & not people) and the non stop life & exuberance of it's people that love music & party till all hours without the need to get drunk. You feel you can cram 200 years of living into 70!
Tenerife North- for the drop dead gorgeous scenery, lovely people & year round festivals with live international music provided mostly free of charge or with low ticket prices. Just being able to book a front row seat in the Auditorio de Santa Cruz to see some international music for prices ranging from 5 -20 Euros 
Australia- for the wide open spaces and safe & healthy environment I was able to offer my children. For the wonderful opportunities when Australia's economy was booming. For 32 wonderful years when I could express my opinions freely.
NZ- for it's beauty & discovering it was similar to Australia but 20 years behind the times (in a nice way) The way the South Island differs so much from the North Island in scenery, climate & people.
Cyprus- again for the friends we made & again music. My husband formed a fabulous band with the best guitarist I have ever heard with the ability to play Rock, Jazz or Greek all exceptionally well. All of the musicians were hand picked for their ability & came from Ukraine, Bulgaria, Siberia, Cyprus & UK & we will return next year to re-create in just one more time.

USA- experiences during long stays. Our wonderful American friends, the wonderful experiences (5 weeks cruising in Alaska & BC), New York, Napa Valley, Sierra Nevada, Smithsonian musems, fabulous music experiences.

So most of my best experiences of countries are all about people, scenery, music & food.
We have a bucket list & gradually ticking them off.

Next places we are going to are Las Vegas to celebrate my husband's big birthday & then to Grand Canyon to watch a sunrise & sunset.


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## MrsRose (May 23, 2012)

anski said:


> Next places we are going to are Las Vegas to celebrate my husband's big birthday & then to Grand Canyon to watch a sunrise & sunset.



Have you made plans on where you'll stay in Vegas? I live in Vegas and could recommend some really great places. 

And if you guys have the time during your visit to the Grand Canyon, you should check out Havasu Falls. It's in the southern rim of the Gran Canyon. You can get there by horseback, or helicopter. (or make it into a backpacking trip and hike to the falls...which is super fun, but you'd have to set aside a few days for that.) There are several breathtaking waterfalls there. Great for photos, swimming, and exploring.


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## anski (Aug 17, 2008)

MrsRose said:


> Have you made plans on where you'll stay in Vegas? I live in Vegas and could recommend some really great places.
> 
> And if you guys have the time during your visit to the Grand Canyon, you should check out Havasu Falls. It's in the southern rim of the Gran Canyon. You can get there by horseback, or helicopter. (or make it into a backpacking trip and hike to the falls...which is super fun, but you'd have to set aside a few days for that.) There are several breathtaking waterfalls there. Great for photos, swimming, and exploring.


We chose to stay just off the strip at the Elara because it is non smoking & does not have a casino. We plan to Zipline down Fremont, that my husband's birthday wish.

Only 1 night in Grand Canyon but staying South Rim in Kachina (we left the booking until couple of days ago) Will probably walk as much as we can & believe there is an off/on shuttle bus to get around.

We could not stay longer because we have planned to go thank the guys personally at the factory in Oxnard that custom made my husband's last set of drums then shipped them to NZ.

Then Hearst Castle is also on our agenda, but we are here until the end of September so plenty of time to explore more :clap2:


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## carosapien (Oct 16, 2011)

Higgy said:


> Good for NZ.
> 
> NZ must be the " Worlds Number On " for Iridescent coloured cars with
> Big Bore Exhausts and Boy Racers at the wheel.
> ...


Lol Top Gear has more class


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## carosapien (Oct 16, 2011)

MrsRose said:


> A study done by Newsweek which ranks the nations of the world according to overall scores in various areas of politics, economy, health, and education.
> 
> You can use the interactive graph to compare countries side by side.
> 
> ...



Did you also see this page on Newsweek ?

The World's Real Winners - Newsweek and The Daily Beast
*



Statistics can measure only so much. To enjoy life's more particular pleasures, move to one of these lucky nations.

Click to expand...

* Best place to have a baby - France
Best place to be old - Japan
Best weather - Malta


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## Lester (Aug 16, 2012)

MrsRose said:


> Both NZ and the US have some very attractive qualities about them. And both have their downsides too. But there's really no comparing two countries that differ so greatly in size, population, and location. The US and NZ really are two totally different countries...with totally different cultures, economies, and political environments.


Of course none of us live in an entire country, most of us routinely move in a very small circle within a semi-defined boundary, within our local suburb, with occasional visits or passing through to the neighboring villages, towns and cities. The next place up the road can be as different as chalk and cheese and small things can make all the difference, a good school with a stand-out headmaster attracts certain people, which brings affluence, or maybe nicer surroundings, buildings, upmarket shops or down and outs on the street can sway opinion one way or another. The place we live may not be at all representative of the nation. In the US you might travel to another state and find it like visiting an entirely different country.

ETA it set me thinking of my own visit to Las Vegas, wow there's one helluva diffference between the glitzty glamour end of town and Downtown at the other, at the point of no return after getting on a late night bus at the Stratosphere Tower I realised we gone way beyond my comfort zone into a very intimidating and scary place and I wouldn't make that mistake again.


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## Song_Si (Jun 11, 2010)

Higgy said:


> Good for NZ.
> 
> NZ must be the " Worlds Number On " for Iridescent coloured cars with
> Big Bore Exhausts and Boy Racers at the wheel.
> ...


not even close; come to Asia. 
Buses, trucks, cars, mbikes kitted out with fluoros; Bangkok has huge numbers. Commercial buses painted like cartoons, mirror and chrome ceilings, pumping disco lights, illuminated engines and under-body fluoros. 
Just back from 10 days touring Malaysia - look up '_mat rempit_' for an indication of the problems that country has with boy-racers 
NZ's are tame by comparison. 
One difference though would be that the local cars have a lot more spent on genuine performance rather than just noise-makers. And the sound systems . . .


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