Israel maintained its standing as the 29th best place to live in a newly published US News and World Report index.
The 2020 Best Countries report, which ranks countries using a variety of metrics, has Switzerland at the top, followed by Canada and Japan.
The United States made it to the seventh spot, with Lebanon coming last at 73rd place.
"Collectively, the 73 nations represented in the 2020 Best Countries rankings account for nearly 95 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP) and represent about three-quarters of the world's population," the report says.
"Israel, the only Jewish nation in the world, is a small country on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. For its relatively small size, the country has played a large role in global affairs. The country has a strong economy, landmarks of significance to several religions and strained relationships with many of its Arab neighbors," the report notes, adding that "Israel has a technologically advanced market economy with cut diamonds, high-technology equipment and pharmaceuticals among its major exports."
The authors praise Israel for being "very highly developed in terms of life expectancy, education, per capita income and other human development index indicators." But alongside the praise, the report cites Israel for having "one of the most unequal economies in the Western world, with significant gaps between the rich and poor."
