Israel at 66: Happy and healthy

According to recent figures released by the World health Organization, life expectancy in Israel is ranked 4th highest in the world. Only Iceland, Switzerland and Australia rank higher.

Israel was the only Middle Eastern country on the top-ten list.

Remarkably, a previous study released  by Ben-Gurion University in 2010 showed the life expectancy of Israeli Arabs overall was higher than that of Americans.  Overall, Israeli Arabs live almost ten years longer than their Arab neighbors.

Israelis are not just healthy. They are happy, too.

From Haaretz

Over the past year, the OECD examined quality of life among its 34 member countries, which includes Israel, and two nonmembers, Brazil and Russia. Its Better Life Index is based on 11 criteria: housing, income, labor market, community, civil engagement, education, health, environment, personal safety, balance between work and leisure, and an overall life satisfaction index.

Despite not ranking high among OECD countries on many criteria, Israelis scored particularly well by two measures − health, where Israel came in fifth out of the 36 countries, and happiness, where it came in eighth.

Israel. Happy, healthy and thriving at 66. May she continue to go from strength to strength.