The United Nations issued its annual Human Development Report on Thursday, which, over the last 20 years has become a trusted indicator of the progress of development among nations, ranking Israel at number 15.

Open gallery view United Nations General Assembly Hall on Oct. 12, 2010. Credit: AP

The report is based on a composite national measure of health, education and income for 169 countries.

The first Human Development Report in 1990 opened with the premise that "people are the real wealth of a nation."

Norway, Australia and New Zealand top the list this year, while Niger, Congo and Zimbabwe rank at the bottom.

For the first time, the report surveys aspects of human development that are not economic, from political freedoms and empowerment to sustainability and human security.

A spokesperson for the UN Development Program, Boaz Paldi, told Haaretz that Israel was ranked relatively high in the list thanks to three central criteria: life expectancy, gross national income per capital, and most importantly education.

One notable finding stemming from this report is that the countries of East Asia and the Pacific were ranked higher than other regions in terms of the rate and scope of their development, as well as achievements in health and education. Simultaneously, inequality of women's status remains the biggest obstacle in the development of Asian countries.

The top ten countries on the list, after the top three, are U.S., Ireland, Lichtenstein, Holland, Canada, Sweden and Germany.

