VGP - Viet Nam ranks fifth in the Happy Planet Index results, and second in the Asia Pacific region, according to the UK-based New Economics Foundation.

Viet Nam is one of just three countries in the top ten Happy Planet Index rankings with an Ecological Footprint that is small enough to be considered environmentally sustainable, according to the New Economics Foundation.

The nation has an impressive average life expectancy. Both Viet Nam and the Gambia have similar sized economies with similar levels of GDP per capita, yet on average, people from Viet Nam live more than 17 years longer.

Viet Nam's inequality of outcomes rating, which measures inequality in wellbeing and life expectancy scores within the country, is better than that of Costa Rica - a likely testament to Viet Nam's robust public service provision.

School enrolment is among the highest in the world at 98% in 2012, and the number of colleges and universities continues to grow rapidly.

Viet Nam is on a steep development trajectory. The country has been hailed as a global poster child for poverty reduction - the number of people living in poverty fell from 58% in 1993 to 10.7% in 2010.

The Happy Planet Index combines four elements including wellbeing, life expectancy, inequality of outcomes and ecological footprint to show how efficiently residents of different countries are using environmental resources to lead long, happy lives.

Source: news.chinhphu.vn

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