Sat, 21 November 2009
Amanda of Queso Suizo blog continues her top 20 things that Swiss people like. More cowbell, anyone?
Fill out an Expat Voices interview by 1 December and you can win a free bottle of whiskey!
Kerrin of MyKugelhopf visits Péclard, Zurich's new/old pastry shop and tea salon.
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Finance & Business
Financial crisis leaves euro with new popularity
World's most prosperous nations are in Europe
The latest Legatum Prosperity Index has been released, with the old continent once more coming out on top but there are signs of potential weakness in domestic security and governance.London – The third edition of the Legatum Prosperity Index ranks 104 countries (covering 90 percent of the world’s population), based on a definition of prosperity that combines economic growth together with measures of happiness and quality of life.
Six of the top 10 countries in the 2009 Prosperity Index are located in Europe: Finland, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands.
“Once again, we see that Europe represents the highest concentration of the world’s most prosperous nations, thanks to an impressive blend of economic progress and good quality of life,” said Dr. William Inboden, Senior Vice President of the Legatum Institute.
“But behind the positive headlines,” continued Dr. Inboden, “the main centres of European population and economic growth are showing signs of potential weakness in important areas such as domestic security and governance. The Legatum Prosperity Index shows that Europe’s future prosperity will be assured by balancing economic progress and wellbeing, through pro-growth policies, strong social networks, strong public safety, and innovative and entrepreneurial citizens.”
Comparing European nations to the US, ranked 9th, the index finds that the United Kingdom (11th), Germany (14th), and France (17th) all trail the US in both economic measures as well as key quality of life measures.
The US outranks each of them on safety and security measures, which is somewhat surprising given public perceptions on the issue.
The UK lags behind the US in education and personal freedom, Germany in economic fundamentals and the impact of its government on economic growth, and France on social capital. All three countries turn in comparatively high ranks on entrepreneurship and innovation; with the UK ranking 2nd globally behind the US.
Wouldn't it be more newsworthy if these statistics were global? Perhaps naming the bottom 10 rather than hand picking only the rich from outside Europe would have made better reporting. Remember Expata readers come from all over the globe!
Switzerland offers year-round sporting opportunities, from skiing in winter to swimming, golf and camping in summer.
How to open and close a Swiss bank account, plus information on confidentiality and security deposits.
How to obtain a licence, import vehicles and follow road rules in Switzerland.
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