The 2019 edition of the Bloomberg Healthiest Country Index analyzed and evaluated 169 economies based on certain factors that contribute to health in general. In 2017 edition, Spain was placed in the sixth position. However, this time around, it has just surpassed Italy to become the world’s healthiest nation, probably there must be something healthy about their paella or gazpacho.
In the latest edition, four additional European countries were among the top 10. Japan has been the healthiest Asian country, which has jumped three places from the 2017 edition, replacing Singapore that has dropped to eighth.
Here are the top 10 World’s Healthiest Nation according to Bloomberg Global Health Index of 2019 edition:
- Spain
- Italy
- Iceland
- Japan
- Switzerland
- Sweden
- Australia
- Singapore
- Norway
- Israel
The United States ranks 35th, while the United Kingdom ranks 19th.
The index has graded nations based on factors such as life expectancy while imposing consequences on risks such as obesity and tobacco use. The index has also taken environmental factors such as access to sanitation and clean water into consideration.
Among all the European Union nations, Spain was found to have the highest life expectancy. According to the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, by 2040, Spain is expected to have the highest lifespan (almost 86 years) followed by Japan, Singapore, and Switzerland.
According to the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies 2018 review of Spain, “Primary care is essentially provided by public providers, specialized family doctors and staff nurses, who provide preventive services to children, women and elderly patients, and acute and chronic care.” For the past decade, health officials have noted a decline in cardiovascular diseases and deaths from cancer in Spain.
Good Eating Habits
Researchers have found that good eating habits may offer clues to healthiest levels of Spain and Italy. They often follow a ‘Mediterranean Diet,’ which is quite healthy of heart as well as overall health. Supplemented with nuts and olive oil, the Mediterranean diet has been found to lower the risk of cardiovascular events by reducing the bad cholesterol.
In the United States, life expectancy has been trending lower because of deaths caused by drug overdoses and suicides.
Cuba (30th rank) has been placed five spots above the U.S. This makes Cube the only nation not classified as “high-income” by the World Bank to be ranked so high. One reason for Cuba’s success may be its strong policies on preventative care over the U.S., which focus on diagnosing and treating ailments, according to the American Bar Association Health Law Section. China ranks 53nd. Life expectancy in China is expected to surpass the U.S. by 2040, as per the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.
