By: Yvan LaFortune
According to CNN’s Immigration Statistics, around 1, 127,167 million people were granted lawful permanent residence in the United States in 2017. By 2016, immigrants represented 13.5 percent of the total population of the country. These numbers are startling when considering the fact that the United States is not even the best country to live in. All those who want to live in the United States believe in the American Dream. Yet, the numbers show that the United States is not the best at some living factors. Should it hurt the American pride that they are not at the top?
The concept of the American Dream is, to put it bluntly, that anyone can make it big. This said concept had given the United States of America the title of the land of opportunities. This same concept serves as a major pull factor for immigrants in their quest to find a new home. Pressured out of their homelands by the various push factors, they head out for the United States.
The OECD ranks countries on an index scale going from 0 to 10. Based on their calculations, Finland is the best country when one is looking for the best education. Recipients of good education have been proven to live longer, be more active on the political scene and relatively less likely to commit a crime, which is a serious issue in the United States.
In terms of job opportunities, the United States is close to the top but is not in first place. Finland is the country with the most opportunities relative to job seeking, with a staggering index level of 9.5. A country with more people in the labor force experiences exponential growth in the economy as a whole.
Even in the health department, the United States is not No 1. Death is the basic fear of any human, and with the help of breakthrough in the medical field, it is possible to live longer with equipment and medicine. The United States is among the top countries in health conditions, yet it is New Zealand who swipes the first spot with an index level of 9.6.
Which now leads to the topic of security; some immigrants leave their homeland because of violence. One would believe that they would avoid the United States as they showcase a surprising rate of violence despite being a developed country. The homicide rate is absurdly high, at a 4.9 from a pool of 100,000 people per year.
The only area where the United States is No. 1 is regarding income. Income satisfaction is higher in the United States because of its capitalistic nature. Differences in revenue can also be differences in acquiring a certain type of good or service, which is why income has a stronger value in the United States.
But how is this affecting the United States? To be fair, this classification has next to no impact on how the United States is doing as a country. According to a recent Federal Reserve Press Release, unemployment rates have fallen, which means that more people have found jobs or are in a position to get hired. More businesses are being created which means that the labor force is bound to increase, also suggesting more revenues for the country. Rises in the cost of goods haven’t gone up to an alarming point. Basically, the United States of America is exhibiting factors showcasing that the economy is progressing. While the United States has to strive to be No. 1, not being there should not affect the way that the people live.
Therefore, it is clear now given the facts provided by the OECD that the United States is not No. 1 in living conditions as they are surpassed by other countries in specific fields; Finland for education for instance. Nevertheless, income expectancies and level put the United States at the top spot for income. When all the living conditions are maxed out, however, the best country to live in would be Norway. Despite not being No. 1, it should not affect or hurt the American’s pride as their economy is growing which means that life is getting better in the country.
