We might be falling over each other and the island is fast being transformed into a concrete jungle, but a report published this week shows that the quality of life in Malta is among the best in the world.

Placed 16th, the island ranks above countries like Canada, Ireland and Sweden, according to International Living magazine's Quality of Life index 2007.

France comes out on top while at the other end of the index, Iraq is the world's worst place to be for the second year in succession.

For 11 months of the year, International Living takes into consideration nine categories for each country: cost of living, culture and leisure, economy, environment, freedom, health, infrastructure, safety and risk, and climate. This involves the compilation of several official sources, including government websites, the World Health Organisation and The Economist.

Once the official data is collected, it is corroborated with local correspondents from all over the world.

Malta's overall score was down marginally by one point compared to last year and a ranking drop of one, but the points awarded to some sectors remain impressive.

The island gets maximum points for risk and safety, as well as the freedom aspect. According to the index, Malta's climate is the second best in the world, after Zimbabwe.

The health sector gets 88 points (down from 94 points last year) and the environment receives 87 points (down from 90 points last year). The cost of living ranking improved from last year, while the leisure and culture aspects and the economy fared worse. Malta's infrastructure is still considered poor, ranking alongside that of India and Syria. Despite having a tax burden that accounts for 45 per cent of GDP, and with Paris among the costliest cities in the world, France has still managed to place first.

French infrastructure is considered among the best in the world, its inflation is low, it has the best overall health care system, a booming tourism industry and is the world's fourth-largest exporter.

The European countries lead the scoreboard (with the Netherlands, Switzerland, Denmark, and Luxembourg making it into the top 10), as do Australia (second) and New Zealand (fourth) in a survey of 193 countries. Unsurprisingly, Baghdad is considered the world's most dangerous city, followed by four African regions. The most polluted city on earth is Linfen, in China, with three Russian towns making it into this category.

Source (The Times)