Staying healthy can be a challenge for all of us, but it seems to be an easier task when living in some countries compared to others.
We looked at which countries are the healthiest by comparing a number of factors, such as vaccination rates, life expectancy, and potentially risky habits (e.g. smoking, drinking alcohol).
So which country is the healthiest, and which countries need a little improvement?
The healthiest country
JAPAN
Japan takes the top spot with high life expectancies, low rates of obesity and alcohol consumption, and high vaccination rates, while South Africa was the lowest-ranked nation, scoring poorly for life expectancy and rates of premature death.
The country with the highest life expectancy
JAPAN
As the healthiest country, it’s no surprise that Japan has the highest life expectancy of 84.2 years, which was over 20 years more than the country with the lowest expectancy, South Africa.
The country with the lowest tobacco use
Colombia
Just 7.9% of the population aged 15 and over currently use tobacco products, compared to almost half (44.7%) in Chile.
The country with the lowest alcohol consumption
Indonesia
With some mild restrictions on alcohol throughout the country, consumption is low with just 0.1 litres of pure alcohol sold per person aged 15 and over, while consumption in European nations such as Latvia (12.6), Austria (12.2), and the Czech Republic (11.8) were much higher.
The country with the best vaccination rates
Hungary
Nearly all children in Hungary seem to be getting their vaccinations with an average of 99% receiving their measles and rubella vaccinations. Brazil was the nation with the lowest vaccination rate, at 72.5%.
The Most Active Country
China
Residents of China seem to be on the move the most, with just 14.1% of adults deemed to have insufficient physical activity, compared to almost half of Brazilians (47%).
The country with the lowest chance of premature death
South Korea
If you are from South Korea, you are far less likely to die young, with just a 7.8% chance of dying between the ages of 30 and 70 from cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, or chronic respiratory disease, a figure which was over three times as high in Indonesia.
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For each country, we gave a normalised score out of ten on each of the following eight factors. We then took an average of all eight scores for each country (with each factor weighted equally), which was then multiplied by 100 to calculate the overall score.
Vaccination Rates
This number combines the percentage of children receiving the rubella vaccine and the final dose of measles vaccine, taking an average of both rates according to WHO data.
Prevalence of Current Tobacco Smoking
An age standardised percentage of the population aged 15+ who currently use any tobacco product according to WHO data.
Alcohol Consumption
The number of litres of pure alcohol sold per person aged 15+ according to OECD data.
Prevalence of Insufficient Physical
Activity Among Adults
The percentage of adults deemed to have insufficient physical activity according to WHO data.
Probability of Premature Death
As a percentage, the probability of dying between the ages of 30 and 70 from cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, or chronic respiratory disease according to WHO data.
Population Using at Least Basic
Drinking-Water Services
The percentage of the population who have access to at least basic drinking-water services according to WHO data.
Prevalence of Obesity Among Adults
The percentage of the population with a BMI of 30 or higher according to WHO data.
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