Italy's struggling economy has world's healthiest people

When it comes to living a long life, Italy is the place to be. It is ranked the healthiest country on Earth in the Bloomberg Global Health Index of 163 countries. A baby born in Italy can expect to live be an octogenarian. But 2,800 miles south in Sierra Leone, the average newborn will die by 52. While Italy is among the most developed countries, growth has stagnated for decades, almost 40 per cent of its youngsters are out of jobs and it’s saddled with one of the world’s highest debt loads relative to the size of its economy. Yet Italians are in way better shape than Americans, Canadians and Brits, who all suffer from higher blood pressure and cholesterol and poorer mental health. Each country in the index was graded based on variables such as life expectancy, causes of death and health risks ranging from high blood pressure and tobacco use to malnutrition and the availability of clean water.

Sources: Bloomberg, WHO, UNPD, World Bank