SINGAPORE: Singapore is the healthiest country in Asia and the fourth healthiest country in the world, according to a new Bloomberg index.
The country beat the likes of Australia (ranked fifth), Japan (seventh), New Zealand (19th) and the United States (34th), losing out only to Italy, Iceland and Switzerland in the Bloomberg 2017 Healthiest Country Index, released in a report on Monday (Mar 20).
Based on information from the World Health Organization, United Nations and the World Bank, the index ranked 163 countries based on variables such as life expectancy, causes of death and health risks such as high blood pressure, tobacco use, malnutrition and the availability of clean water.
Each country was given a health grade equal to its score across these variables minus health risk penalties.
The top 50 ranking:
