Ireland has the third highest quality of life in the world, according to a new study by the United Nations.

The annual Human Development Index rankings are calculated using three categories: health, education and income.

Norway topped the list, followed by Switzerland, with UK and US taking 15th and 16th places.

Ireland has a life expectancy of 82 years, 16th of 189 countries, with the highest life expectancy coming from Hong Kong at almost 85 years old.

In terms of expected years of schooling, Ireland is ranked seventh behind Australia.

Leading the wealth category is Qatar, with a gross national income of €98,630, as Ireland ranked 12th on the list with a gross national income of €55,265. The lowest for national income is Burundi with €596.

Ireland has shown significant growth in the quality of life index, it is up from fourth place last year, while between 2012 and 2017, it jumped 13 places.

The lowest country in the quality-of-life ranking is Niger, with the bottom 10 countries coming from Africa.