Norway has been deemed one of the best places in the world to live. Are exchange traded funds (ETFs) that hold the country as good for investing?
The United Nations’ annual survey of countries on wealth, poverty, health and education found that overall, Norway tops the list, according to The Associated Press. Norway has led the list for all but two years since 2001.
The study aims to give a broader assessment of quality of life than just income — by including, health, education, gender equality and political freedom — and its lead writer Jeni Klugman said most of the world has seen “dramatic progress” since 1970.
Norway is oil-rich, has an average life expectancy of 81 years and 12.6 years of education. This isn’t the first time a Nordic country has done so well in happiness rankings. Though there’s no single-country ETF for Norway at the moment, Global X FTSE Nordic 30 (NYSEArca: GXF) gives a hefty 18.3% of its exposure to the country. [Global X ETFs: Under-Appreciated Performers.]
Also of mention is that Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and the United States rounded out the top five, though don’t assume that just because a country tops this list, all is well economically. A case in point is Ireland, which is still struggling in a major way with deficit and bank failures. Use a discipline like trend following to find these and other countries that are currently in uptrends; you can view any chart by clicking on the ticker symbol:
- SPDR S&P 500 (NYSEArca: SPY)
- iShares MSCI Australia Index (NYSEArca: EWA)
- iShares MSCI New Zealand Index (NYSEArca: ENZL)
- iShares MSCI Ireland (NYSEArca: EIRL)
Tisha Guerrero contributed to this article.
The opinions and forecasts expressed herein are solely those of Tom Lydon, and may not actually come to pass. Information on this site should not be used or construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation for any product.