International There are 9 countries superior to the US in 10 key metrics.

[Halifax]

Here they are, most-to-least populous:

1. Canada
2. Australia
3. Netherlands
4. Sweden
5. Israel
6. Austria
7. Switzerland
8. Denmark
9. Norway
10. New Zealand
11. Ireland
12. Luxembourg
13. Iceland

Sources:
Happier - Self-reported - World Happiness Report 2022
Wealthier - Median wealth per adult - Global Wealth Databook 2021
Healthier - Life expectancy at birth - World Bank 2021

LOL at canada being on that list. Unless that list was made 8 years ago before things went to shit.

Healthcare is crumbling before our eyes, millennials can not buy houses anymore and rent is skyrocketting. The living wage in Halifax is estimated to be $21.50 an hour.

My mortgage is $1250 a month or so and only because I bought years before the current bubble so i am ok, but i am keenly aware of the struggles of my staff. The average 2 bedroom apartment here is $2000 and the daycare cost for 2 kids is in the neighborhood of $1100 a month. Even if both parents make double minimum wage, you get taxed out the asshole and take home $4300 a month, and if you have any interest payments, car payments, insurance that's another $500-700 bitten off.

 

[GoldenWolf87]

LOL at canada being on that list. Unless that list was made 8 years ago before things went to shit.

Healthcare is crumbling before our eyes, millennials can not buy houses anymore and rent is skyrocketting. The living wage in Halifax is estimated to be $21.50 an hour.

My mortgage is $1250 a month or so and only because I bought years before the current bubble so i am ok, but i am keenly aware of the struggles of my staff. The average 2 bedroom apartment here is $2000 and the daycare cost for 2 kids is in the neighborhood of $1100 a month. Even if both parents make double minimum wage, you get taxed out the asshole and take home $4300 a month, and if you have any interest payments, car payments, insurance that's another $500-700 bitten off.

Between 10 to 20 years ago, Canada was a great place.

There was an article even saying that Toronto is the most livable city in Ontario, Canada, the only issue from the stories i hear.

If you can afford living there.

 

[codfather]

I think it's safe to say that there are FAR more than 12 Countries that are happier than the US.

Those are the 10 countries that beat the US in all 10 metrics.

 

[codfather]

I think I understand what you're getting at, but listing them by population is misleading. Canada (where I'm from) is the last nation on the happiness list above the US. I find that interesting. A lot of us like to kind of hold our nose in the air when looking at our cousins to the south, but we're pretty much the same in terms of quality of life.

Because people always use the excuse "America has a huge population, you can't compare it to small countries like Switzerland and Norway", but Canada and Australia aren't particularly small.

People never give China that same benefit either. What if we split up China in to separate administrative divisions?

 

[AtomicPanther]

A lot of it has to do with expectations. There's a very large number of entitled people in the US, and if they're not getting what they think they deserve..........

 

[My Spot]

Between 10 to 20 years ago, Canada was a great place.

There was an article even saying that Toronto is the most livable city in Ontario, Canada, the only issue from the stories i hear.

If you can afford living there.

Toronto has to be nice because even John Rocker liked going there.

 

[codfather]

The UK has "free" health care and from what's being talked about on LBC and BBC they are far from happy.

"...public support for a tax-funded NHS, free at the point of use and providing comprehensive care for all citizens, is growing (72% agree strongly with this principle, compared to 66% in May 2017 and 60% in March 2015), as is a preference for NHS funded care to be delivered directly by the NHS (60%), as opposed to by the private (11%) or non-profit (1%) sectors." (5 December 2019)

 

[jeremyemilio]

Because people always use the excuse "America has a huge population, you can't compare it to small countries like Switzerland and Norway", but Canada and Australia aren't particularly small.

Yes. I do understand what you're showing. But Canada is about 1/9 the size of the US, which is pretty substantially smaller, and is just one place above the US on the Happiness Index, and actually behind the US on some of the more well respected Quality of Life indexes.

When you list them by population like this, on first glance it looks like Canada is doing substantially better than the US on these measures. But we aren't. We're right around the same spot, despite having a fraction of the population.

 

[nostradumbass]

Wasn't this 13 countries just a few

It's almost like heavily subsidizing things that are essential in most peoples lives, things like healthcare and education, lead to a more happy population. Weird how that works. But not really.

The US has higher per student spending than almost all of those countries, and DC and NY have higher per student spending than all of them, and lower literacy rates than Congo.

 

[tastaylvr]

Also "wealth" is a strange metric to judge by, given that a large amount of wealth is inherited. An immigrant for example would be much better to be in the US than Canada, UK or Scandinavia, given the lower cost of living and higher wages in America.

in what world is an immigrant better off in American than Australia or any Scandinavian country? Just wtf lol

the median income in America is like 30k

dogs earn more than that around here

you could argue being rich is better in America but being poor? Lol that’s some delusional shit

being poor in America is probably worse than most third world countries tbh

 

[tastaylvr]

Wasn't this 13 countries just a few


The US has higher per student spending than almost all of those countries, and DC and NY have higher per student spending than all of them, and lower literacy rates than Congo.

I remember seeing an article of some public school being built for like 30 mill or something then just getting trashed and unused lol

there are big culture issues in America for sure that’s ridiculous

even the top tier high schools don’t get much funding around here

 

[SummerStriker]

Canada?
While currently with its rising costs of living?

I am not sure i tend to believe this.

If they did this a few years ago, i would likely agreed to the idea.

When you drive back to southern US from Toronto, it is possible to pass through hundreds of miles of warzone where everything is completely fucked like nothing in Canada.

 

[nostradumbass]

I remember seeing an article of some public school being built for like 30 mill or something then just getting trashed and unused lol

there are big culture issues in America for sure that’s ridiculous

even the top tier high schools don’t get much funding around here

Our problem was always wasteful spending, not lack of spending. No bid contracts and public sector unions are both working against the taxpayer. Public sector unions are negotiating against taxpayers, and no bid contracts are not negotiating where you should.

 

[TUFNewb]

I am not sure i tend to believe this.

That's because you are not Canadian and you don't live in Canada. You play one on a karate forum, but your method acting is still not enough to get a true sense of what it is like to live here.

 

[GoldenWolf87]

That's because you are not Canadian and you don't live in Canada. You play one on a karate forum, but your method acting is still not enough to get a true sense of what it is like to live here.

I am sure you are hoping that i live in Russia or China which i do not..

 

[codfather]

Yes. I do understand what you're showing. But Canada is about 1/9 the size of the US, which is pretty substantially smaller, and is just one place above the US on the Happiness Index, and actually behind the US on some of the more well respected Quality of Life indexes.

When you list them by population like this, on first glance it looks like Canada is doing substantially better than the US on these measures. But we aren't. We're right around the same spot, despite having a fraction of the population.

Happiness is just one of the 10 measures where it's close.

 

[Scheme]

in what world is an immigrant better off in American than Australia or any Scandinavian country? Just wtf lol

the median income in America is like 30k

dogs earn more than that around here

you could argue being rich is better in America but being poor? Lol that’s some delusional shit

being poor in America is probably worse than most third world countries tbh

Median income is lower than that across many countries with higher taxes. US is 2nd in median income, only behind Luxembourg. Also generally immigrants are higher educated people, which means they'd probably be working a higher end job where the disparity would be even larger. Also these places tend to have higher costs of living than America. Look at the average house to income ratio, US is at the bottom (~4.5x) versus places in Scandenavia and Canada which are 1.5-2x higher (which also affects rents).

Try not to be incredulous and ignorant.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Median_income
https://www.numbeo.com/property-investment/rankings_by_country.jsp

 

[jeremyemilio]

Happiness is just one of the 4 measures where it's close. Canada is far wealthier, more socially mobile and healthier than the US.

https://www.numbeo.com/quality-of-life/rankings_by_country.jsp

Purchasing Power:
Canada - 5th
US - 6th

Safety:
Canada - 49th
US - 66th

Healthcare:
Canada - 28th
US - 33rd

Cost of Living:
Canada - 76th
US - 78th

Property Price to Income Ration:
Canada - 49th
US - 26th

Traffic Commute Time:
Canada - 39th
US - 35th

Pollution Index:
Canada - 16th
US - 23rd

Climate Index:
Canada - 7th (we have not very many people and a lot of trees...)
US - 36th

We're just not that far off.

 

[Contempt]

Fuck it better of been free.. don't you down unders pay 40percent income tax? Imma Canucklehead and I'm around 36%? (Federal and provincial taxes)

Our top tax rate is 47% (after a bullshit 2% surcharge) and then 10% GST on everything when you actually spend your money so... close to 60% and that's before we even get into the other bullshit taxes.

Amazing place to live but goddamn are we taxed.

 

[Contempt]

Umm all depends on the tax bracket. I honestly wouldn't know the %'s.

income Tax on this income

0 – $18,200 Nil

$18,201 – $45,000 - 19 cents for each $1 over $18,200
$45,001 – $120,000 - $5,092 plus 32.5 cents for each $1 over $45,000
$120,001 – $180,000 - $29,467 plus 37 cents for each $1 over $120,000
$180,001 and over - $51,667 plus 45 cents for each $1 over $180,000

...then add an extra 2% medicare surcharge on top of that 45% It's completely bullshit.