What Do Nations with the Highest Quality of Life Have in Common?

U.S. News and World Report recently published this year’s list ranking nations according to their citizens’ quality of life (CNBC, September 26, 2024). Almost 17,000 people in 89 nations were surveyed from March to May to come up with the ranking, and researchers examined the following societal factors: affordable living, a good job market, economic stability, a family-friendly society, income equality, political stability, safety, a well-developed public education system, and a well-developed public health system.

When all factors were considered, Denmark earned the rank of the nation with the world’s highest quality of life. The other nations in the top ten list include: Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, Canada, Finland, Germany, Australia, Netherlands, and New Zealand. However, when this list is examined, what do nearly all of these nations have in common?

The answer is that nine of the ten are nations that have descended from the ancient tribes of Israel. The people of these nations are surely no better than those of other nations—but they do possess a unique factor in their favor! Long ago God unconditionally promised the patriarch Abraham—the father of the Israelite-descended nations—that He would bless his descendants because of his obedience to God (Genesis 22:15–18). Among those blessings has been exposure to a value system that includes many biblical principles. And 3,500 years later, many of those blessings are still evident—yet, as these nations turn increasingly away from God, they should not expect their blessings to continue (Leviticus 26:14–45). To learn more about why some nations have been blessed more than others, be sure to read “Modern Nations and God’s Ancient Plan.”