By The World Today

(Top 3 in each category, plus US and Britain for comparison)

Paying taxes

Tax revenue as proportion of GDP, 2010

1.Denmark: 48.2

2.Sweden: 45.8

3.Belgium: 43.8

15.Britain: 35.0

32.US: 24.8

Working for the state

Central government and public corporations, as percentage of labour force, 2008

1.Norway: 34.5

2.Denmark: 31.5

3.Russia: 30.6

15.Britain: 18.6

20.US: 14.6

Government spending as proportion of GDP, 2011

1.Denmark: 57.9

2.France: 56.1

3.Finland: 54.1

12.Britain: 49.1

27.US: 41.7

Democracy

Economist Intelligence Unit democracy index. Most democratic = 10, 2011

1.Norway: 9.80

2.Iceland: 9.65

3.Denmark: 9.52

18.Britain: 8.16

19.US: 8.11

Equality

Inequality-adjusted human development index, 2011

1.Norway: 89.0

2.Australia: 85.6

3.Sweden: 85.1

19.Britain: 79.1

23.US: 77.1

But not in murders...

Homicide rate per 100,000 inhabitants

109.US: 4.2

138.Finland: 2.2

176.Britain: 1.2

188.Sweden: 1.0

196.Denmark: 0.9

207.Norway: 0.6

212.Iceland: 0.3

Source: all data from The Economist Pocket World in Figures 2013, except for homicides: UN Office on Drugs and Crime

 

© Tribune Media Services

 

 

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