2 min The Gulf Kuwait ranked 4th most livable country in the Arab world The United Arab Emirates ranked first regionally and 32 globally

The United Arab Emirates ranked 32 overall in The Statehood Index, while Oman, Qatar and Kuwait also ranked highly in the region

What is the world's most livable country?

Researchers from the German University of Würzburg attempted to answer that question.

They ranked 173 countries according to how well they meet the basic needs of their people, including rule of law, crime rates, violence and governance.

So which countries came out on top?

Singapore ranked first in the world, followed by Australia, Denmark, the Netherlands and Estonia.

Rounding out the top ten were Luxembourg, Norway, Belgium, New Zealand and Germany.

Further down the list, the United States was ranked 23rd, while China came in 61st.

Focusing on the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates ranked first regionally and 32 globally, followed by Oman (48), Qatar (52), Kuwait (60), and Saudi Arabia (63). 

By contrast, at the bottom of the index were Libya at 173, Yemen at 172 and South Sudan at 171.

In a university press release, political scientist and lead researcher Theresa Paola Stawski said, “We can see the state in everything that surrounds us, for example in the streets, the courts, the police or the schools.”

So what does a good state look like?

Stawkski gave the examples of high-functioning, like the speed with which patients can get a doctor’s appointment when they need an X-ray, round-the-clock electricity, and having enough schools for children across the country.

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