How is it possible that Norway is the best place to live?

This will sound un-American of me but I am not surprised at all. They don't let there people die because they are uninsured or worse have insurance and then have the "audacity" to get cancer and actually need it. They care about their youth and having the best education available. They pay for secondary education instead of having most people go broke trying to finish college. They devote resources to making sure that the elderly are very well taken care of. They spend money to make sure that pregnant women get to stay home after their baby is born. They care about making sure that their citizens get the best out of life and not how much money they can make. I find very little wrong with socialism. I find very much wrong with capitalism.

Our crime rate is extremely high (biggest prison population), education sucks, health care sucks, economy sucks - Overall.

You may live in a bubble where middle class is strong, but most major US cities are failing, and some states, such as California where business is being killed and driven out by over taxing. This is also happening on a Federal level, Pres took over GM and sold Hummer to China. Globalization is coming fast and it means the death of the middle class.

We are in the Greatest Depression the country has ever faced, and our President has stated (in UN) that we do not deserve to be better than any other country.

Considering these facts, 13th is not so bad...Stop being hypnotized by the mainstream media.

Only? With so much drug abuse and death rate, I am surprised U.S is even on 13th spot.

Plus, Norway is oil-rich, making it the top oil exporter in the world as well as it has low unemployment rate and an economic boom. But indeed their taxes are much higher, because most of it goes into Education and free health care.

However, their tax is lower than Americans HST rate that you guys pay... which if I am not mistaking is around 13-14 % in some states.

but again, I am not American nor Norwegian. But if it comes down to best countries to live in, no doubt the candidates are on European continent.

Norway has fantastic healthcare, a low crime rate, and the people there have very deeply ingrained values of living in moderation. Also, over in Scandinavia, while there are many deeply religious people - they keep church and state VERY separate.

They also don't have the same strange sexual hangups we Americans seem to ... Over in Norway and Sweden, it's not unusual to see full frontal nudity in a soap commercial.

ALSO interesting is that the liberals in America are considered incredibly right-wing in Norway/Sweden.

Please come visit my city, Los Angeles. Beyond a few neighborhoods it is basically a Third World cesspool with tens of thousands of illiterate, superstitious, racist, misogynist illegal aliens streaming in every day. I don't know where you live but from where I sit the US shouldn't even be 13th on that list. The quality of life in many of our cities is awful.

It's the people, and the culture. I have been there and whatever degree of socialism they have works because they are "all in it together". They willingly shoulder their responsibilities, and are not a people prone to abuse their perks, or step all over each other to get more than they work for. In short, they are not Americans.

I think Norway deserved that status.

More equality or spreading the wealth there and a large fish diet helps.

It has the best quality of life. That's how. Don't let your own patriotism blind you to accepted facts.

Its the health care