Ethiopia has been ranked the 28th best place in Africa to live according to the Quality Life Index (QLI) ranking for the year 2010 by the magazine International Living (IL); its international ranking was 163 out of the 194 countries surveyed.

Parameters used to decide the rankings for the index are cost of living, leisure and culture, economy, environment, freedom, health, infrastructure, risk and safety, and climate. The top five countries on the list are France, Australia, Switzerland, Germany, and New Zealand.


Horn of Africa countries did not fare very well, according to the index. Kenya ranks 137, Eritrea 187, Djibouti 188, and Sudan 192 while Somalia took the bottom spot on the list. Ethiopia slipped from 161 in 2009 to 163. It is positioned below Turkmenistan and above the Republic of Congo by the magazine.

Ethiopia has continued to post very low ratings on the index. In the report released recently, Ethiopia only managed to garner a final score of 46 together with Myanmar (Burma), Turkmenistan, Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Gabon and Rwanda out of a possible 100. France in firest scored 82. Compared to the other 51 African countries included in the surveys Ethiopia ranks 28th, preceded by Togo.

Ethiopia scored low in two parameters, leisure and culture - 11 out of 100 - and health - 13 out of 100 - while the highest score was registered by climate, 86 out of 100. The end results for the rest of the parameters range from 33 to 67.

International Living is an international magazine that publishes the ranks and rates of countries every January, and comes up with a list of places that offer its readers the best quality of life.