Spain best in world for expat health

For would-be expats heading for Spain, the good news is that their chosen destination is now officially the world’s healthiest country.

A recent study ordered by the Bloomberg Healthiest Country Index examined and analysed data from the World Bank, the United Nations Population Division and the World Health Organisation in order to determine the overall health rating of 169 world countries. Lifestyle factors such as obesity and smoking played a part in the survey, along with environmental factors including access to clean water and sanitation.

Each country was than allocated an overall health grade, with Spain taking the top spot with a score of 92.75 and also recording the highest life-expectancy in the EU. It seems it’s yet another win for the famed Mediterranean diet including virgin olive oil, fish rather than meat-heavy cuisine, fresh vegetables and fruit, with the healthy regime already credited with a reduction in mortality risks for the elderly as well as lessening the likelihood of depression.

If Asia is a prime destination for expat life, Japan is now the healthiest Asian nation, boasting an average lifespan of 83.7 years, again mostly due to its unique cuisine. For the youth of today who become the expats of tomorrow, Spain wins again with a projected lifespan in 2040 of 85.8 years, with Japan trailing just behind in second place. As regards other countries’ positions in the study, Australia took seventh place, Canada was 16th, the USA scraped by at 35th and China scored 52nd.

Surprisingly, the UK merited 19th place with a health grade of 84.28, but ended up nowhere near the second and third-placed countries of Italy and Iceland. Just in case you’re heading to a new job in sub-Saharan Africa, 27 of the 30 least healthy countries in the world are located in the region, along with Afghanistan, Haiti and Yemen.