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Ukraine is the 49th best country in the world, according to a ranking published by Newsweek magazine, and offers the best quality of life among low-income countries across the globe.
The ranking was built by taking five categories into account: education, health, quality of life, economic dynamism, and political environment. The 100 countries included in the ranking were also divided into three groups in terms of income and three groups in terms of population size.
In the overall ranking, Ukraine came in as the world's 49th best country, sitting between Brazil and Cuba, and two places above Russia, and seven above Belarus. However, it drags its feet compared with its neighbours in the EU, with Slovenia (24), the Czech Republic (25) and Poland (29) leading emerging Europe. At 31, Slovakia heads the also-rans, followed by Hungary (33) and Romania (39).
The world's best three countries according to Newsweek are Finland, Switzerland and Sweden, while Cameroon, Nigeria and Burkina Faso come in bottom of the table. Among low-income countries, Ukraine scored top overall, including taking top awards for quality of life and, thanks to a literacy rate of 99%, education.
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