"HDI combines life expectancy, education, and income into a single measure of human development. It is usually used to compare countries, so applying the same framework to individual U.S. states creates a much more unusual comparison.
Germany scores about 0.959, placing it among the world’s highest-development countries. Massachusetts and New Hampshire both come in slightly higher at 0.961, while Minnesota reaches 0.960. Hawaii essentially matches Germany at 0.959.
What makes the map interesting is how narrow the gap is at the top. These states are separated from Germany by only thousandths of a point, meaning relatively small differences in health, education, or income can shift the ranking.
The comparison also shows why economic size alone does not determine development. A wealthy state can still rank lower if life expectancy or education outcomes lag, while another state with slightly less economic output can perform better because its overall human-development indicators are stronger.
The figures come from Global Data Lab’s Subnational Human Development Index, which applies a framework designed to make regions within countries broadly comparable with national HDI scores.
The bigger story is the variation inside the United States itself. A small number of states sit at or above the level of one of the world’s highest-HDI countries, while many others fall noticeably below the same benchmark.
So this map is less about “beating” Germany and more about showing how unevenly health, education, and living standards are distributed across a single country."
Source: Global Data Lab, Subnational HDI v10.2, 2023 data; released May 2026.
I'm not going to state the obvious about the states in this study.
But I will point out that Conservatives/MAGA habitually trash Blue States as "socialists, Communists, WOKE, etc. But according to this map, Liberal blue states deliver a better quality of life for their citizens than do Conservative red states, even large wealthy states like Texas!
The cost of living in Massachusetts is high. But you get what you pay for in health care, education, safety, and overall quality of life.
29 comments:
...b ut are they happy?
Well Shaw... the rise of the AFD, essentially a Neo Nazi supporting Trump loving party, in Germany will soon help out our numbers.
After multiple generations of ostracization, it looks the MGGA movement has finally succeeded in blinding Germany to the ills of extremist volk.
With MAGAs in charge of the levers of power in many states, and certainly at the federal level with trump and MAGA in control, it has become a race to see who hits bottom first.
More Americans need to wake up if the MAGA trump trend is to be reversed.
You don't hear Germans complain about their standard of living or their education system. While our labor participation rate is 60%, Germany is 77%. While we teach to the lowest common denominator, Germany's education system is a structured, multi-tier framework managed individually by the country's 16 federal states. They do not bow to a teachers union nor do they try to arrest parents who want to be involved in their children's education.
Apparently, according to your link, they are.
But NOT the happiest (Hawaii)
United Nations classifies any index score above 0.800 as "Very High Human Development." Even Mississippi, ranking lowest domestically, remains comfortably inside this top global tier.
Why are Hawaiians so happy?
Hawaii ranks 42nd out of 50 U.S. states for its overall public school and K–12 education system, according to recent rankings from WalletHub.
“Hawaii ranked the highest out of all 50 states and Washington, D.C., in state health care system performance in 2022, according to a study from the Commonwealth Fund.” -- [The Hill].Key factors driving Hawaii's longevity include:Healthcare Access: High insurance coverage rates bolstered by the state's Prepaid Health Care Act.Lifestyle & Diet: Active outdoor lifestyles, year-round warm weather, and traditional diets low in processed foods.Social & Community Wellbeing: Strong community bonds and high reported life satisfaction.
Apparently it's HDI ranking comes from the MAHA lifestyle/ diet and high cost of living there, not the educational attainment of its population.
Hawaiians were practicing their healthy diets long before RFK, Jr., was in charge of HHS.
AI Overview:
Mississippi is not considered a healthy, happy, or thriving state in most national rankings, though it does score well for affordability.
Happiness Ranking — Low Happiness: According to WalletHub, Mississippi ranks near the bottom (42nd) in national happiness studies.Daily Pressures: Residents face long work hours and high rates of stress or depression.
Health and Well-Being Bottom Ranks: Mississippi often ranks last or near the bottom for overall health, physical well-being, and life expectancy.
Health Challenges: The state deals with high rates of chronic illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.Small Improvements: State reports show progress in childhood vaccination rates and slight drops in obesity.
The state ranks near 47th for its economy and has high levels of poverty and lower median household incomes.
Education and Infrastructure: Scores for public education, road conditions, and community safety also lag behind the national average.
Affordability: The main bright spot is the cost of living, where Mississippi regularly ranks in the top 10 for affordable housing and everyday expenses.
As it regards Germany... someone making 80K US in Germany effectively pays a 38% tax to the feds. Which then funds the local education systems. This 38% also funds their retirement system.
Here in the US, someone making 80K pays an effective rate of 21%, resulting in much less $$$ going to all the cool stuff people want. With our freedoms, we pay less, get less and can want more.
You figure it out.
Apparently Dave conservatives are incapable of figuring it out. Either that or they simply do not care. As long as the taxes they pay stay at their desired basement level. A level That Continually Drives Budget Deficits and Increases the National Debt. Which, when th empire collapses will be the lasting legacy of conservatives and the republican party.
Dave, Total tax burden in Germany is closer to 46-48% including mandatory contributions to pension and health benefits. Plus every resident in Germany pays the standard 19% VAT which differs from the US because only 50% pay income tax and only 60% of able workers work.
We don't have a tax issue in this country, we have a spending issue. I know it is all the GOP's fault because they are the one's who opened the border and demand you don't have to work to get a handout.
New Mexico did one of the smartest things a state can do. They are going to subsidize daycare which is a major expense for all family's. Why can't more of our tax dollars go to fund families and less to PORK.
Hey Skud, You might want to check your work before commenting.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) calculates its headline rate using everyone aged 16 and older (including retirees and older seniors). Many European comparisons (like Eurostat) focus strictly on the core working ages of 15 to 64 or 20 to 64, which naturally excludes older populations who are fully retired and drops non-working youth who are still in school.
Apples to oranges, friend.
They do not bow to a teachers union
The German Education Union (GEW)
GEW is the education sector union affiliated to the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB). We organise educators and teachers in schools, universities, early childhood education, vocational training and adult education.
I'm not sure how to determine which country bows and which doesn't but German teachers have union representation. I know of no parents who were arrested without cause.
It amazes me how so many on the Right display their casual bigotry or confidently state things that just aren't true. We all have the tools to answer the simple question, "is this true", before clicking to publish. I know you can do better, Skud. We're all pulling fer ya.
”Cambridge, Mass., offers free standard-hours preschool for all 4-year-olds and qualifying 3-year-olds through the Cambridge Preschool Program (CPP), but it does not provide completely free full-day or infant daycare for all who qualify.
Every Cambridge resident turning 4 years old by August 31 can attend a 6-hour school-day, school-year preschool program for free, regardless.
Free preschool for 3-year-olds is limited to families meeting specific income guidelines or priority requirements.
The free portion covers only the standard school day and school year. Families typically pay extra fees for full-day, full-year, or summer care unless they qualify for income-based financial aid, subsidies, or sliding-scale tuition.
Free city-funded care does not extend to infants or toddlers (children under age 3).Financial Assistance: Low-income families and eligible working parents can apply for childcare vouchers and subsidies through programs like the Childcare Resource Center (CCRC) or federal options like CAAS Head Start.”
skud, we have both a spending problem and a tax problem. We need to cut spending on war making, close most of our millitary bases, stop supporting nations that commit genocide and perpetual war, and return to a 35%-38% tax. Trillionaires, billionaires, and multi-millionaires need to pay their fair share.
Also, b>everyone should pay into SS on every dollar earned. As well as Citizens United needs to go bye bye.
Here! Here! Smart, practical solutions, Les!
But what we’re getting from Trump is a $5,000 bribe to get people to vote to keep Republicans in charge of Congress! A blatant illegal bribe for votes! We keep thinking we’re gonna hit rock bottom with this criminal, and we keep finding out there is no bottom to his corruption!
Craig
Germany considers working age as 15 and the US 16.
I guess splitting hairs makes that significant.
You weren't paying attention during the biden disaster "President Biden knew that concerned parents would not let their voices be silenced at school boards across the country so he decided that the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) would do his dirty work for him."
We have an excellent educational system where teachers rely on union protection so they don't have to teach which is partially the reason we have 31-35% of students perform at or above proficiency, excluding Mass where it is 40%.
Germany considers working age as 15 and the US 16.
I guess splitting hairs makes that significant.
Good gravy, Skud. Do I have to read for you too? I will bold the relevant words for you.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) calculates its headline rate using everyone aged 16 and older (including retirees and older seniors)
Many European comparisons (like Eurostat) focus strictly on the core working ages of 15 to 64 or 20 to 64, which naturally excludes older populations who are fully retired and drops non-working youth who are still in school.
"President Biden knew...Blah, blah and blah
This quote is from Republican Whacko Tim Walberg. He can't point to one Federal arrest for a peaceful protest or vocal dissent. Neither can you. The arrests were for disrupting board meetings or threatening violence and carried out by local authorities.
Craig, thanks for the explanation for skud's claim "President Biden knew..." I can't count the number of times I have corrected him on this false assertion -- that concerned parents' voices would be silenced by the FBI, etc.!
But skud keeps repeating it, and I wonder what his motive is for posting a lie when he's been told what he posts is a LIE! Here, AGAIN, are the facts, WITH EVIDENCE, to back up the fact that skud's claim IS A LIE. I will NOT publish any more comments that contain that lie.
"No, it is not true that the FBI silenced concerned parents at school board meetings or had them arrested. This claim stems from a highly politicized controversy regarding a 2021 Department of Justice (DOJ) memorandum that targeted violent threats, not peaceful speech. [1] (https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/10/15/false-gop-claim-that-doj-is-spying-parents-school-board-meetings/), [2] (https://wisconsinwatch.org/2023/05/did-the-fbi-under-president-joe-biden-label-concerned-parents-who-spoke-at-school-board-meetings-domestic-terrorists-as-a-wisconsin-congressman-claims/)
The facts behind how this narrative developed involve a timeline of specific events:
1. The Originating Letter: In September 2021, the National School Boards Association (NSBA) sent a letter to President Biden expressing concern over a spike in threats and harassment against school officials. In the letter, the NSBA controversially suggested that some actions could be classified as forms of "domestic terrorism". Following immense backlash, the NSBA later apologized and retracted the letter.
The DOJ Memorandum: In response to the reported rise in intimidation, Attorney General Merrick Garland issued a DOJ memorandum in October 2021. The directive instructed the FBI and federal prosecutors to collaborate with local law enforcement to open lines of communication regarding threats against school personnel.
[1] (https://abcnews4.com/news/nation-world/no-legitimate-basis-judiciary-committee-blasts-biden-admin-directive-telling-fbi-to-investigate-school-board-meetings), [2] (https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/10/15/false-gop-claim-that-doj-is-spying-parents-school-board-meetings/)
Crucially, Garland’s memo did not adopt the "domestic terrorism" label and explicitly stated that spirited debate and political dissent are fully protected by the First Amendment. The focus was strictly on illegal actions, such as actual threats of physical."
Skud keeps saying this... "We don't have a tax issue in this country, we have a spending issue." I agree we have a spending problem Skud. But if you don't think we need to increase taxes, it's incumbent on you to tell us where we should cut.
For about the 15th time, here's the numbers. Skud... balance them for us. No snark, no BS, no look what Biden did, nothing. Just tell us how you'd balance the budget.
Total US Income from taxes, tariffs, fees, etc. $5.2 trillion.
Total US Spending, excluding debt interest. $6.04 trillion.
Total interest on the debt. $980 billion.
Since you can't cut the interest payment, and we're $35-$40 trillion in debt, where would you cut?
Give us your numbers.
Les... here's my plan for Social Security.
1. Raise the taxable wage cap to $500,000, injecting $100B+ annually from high earners.
2. Standard retirement tiers move to 65 (90%), 67.5 (95%), and 70 (100%). If you are healthy, the system expects you to work.
3. Workers aged 62–64 can unlock early retirement benefits only if they pass a verified medical determination showing they are physically or cognitively unable to continue working.
--By raising the tax cap to $500,000 combined with delaying standard retirement tiers to ages 65 through 70, we will completely erase Social Security’s long-term funding gap. By pairing this revenue increase with strict medical exemptions for early age-62 exits, the plan permanently secures the program's solvency for future generations.
Craig, Shaw, et al... there you all go, bringing facts to a discussion with Skud.
Craig,
So your good with 6 out of 10 students reading below standards, and that is if you live in Mass.
Sorry to say your wrong
Who is Excluded in from worker participation rate:
Incarcerated individuals in prisons or correctional
People in residential care facilities
Full-time retirees,
students, or stay-at-home parents who are not looking for a job
It seems pointless at this juncture to waste time educating skud. He apparently gets his talking points from reichwing media (FAUX Snooze, OAN, etc) or from trump's thousands upon thousands of lies.
He simply is a person who believes what he wants to believe. Regardless whether true or not.
Donald Trump, now America's Cheif Briber among his other criminal pursuits, has always needed people like skud. Every since descending the elevator back in 2015 to announce trump run 1.0.
As a result America is rapidly becoming a Banana Republic. If it's not already there under trump 2.0.
So your good with 6 out of 10 students reading below standards, and that is if you live in Mass.
Where did I say I was good with it? I'm not good with it. The left and the right can both take blame.
Definitions from BLS.
The labor force participation rate represents the number of people in the labor force as a percentage of the civilian noninstitutional population. In other words, the participation rate is the percentage of the population that is either working or actively looking for work.
The labor force participation rate is calculated as: (Labor Force ÷ Civilian Noninstitutional Population) x 100.
The civilian noninstitutional population age 16 and older is the base population group, or universe, used for Current Population Survey (CPS) statistics published by BLS. (See also geographic scope and reference of the CPS.)
The civilian noninstitutional population excludes the following:
active duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces
people confined to, or living in, institutions or facilities such as
prisons, jails, and other correctional institutions and detention centers
residential care facilities such as skilled nursing homes
Included in the civilian noninstitutional population are citizens of foreign countries who reside in the United States but do not live on the premises of an embassy
Students over 16 and retirees are not excluded from the Labor force participation rate
Les, It's more about educating myself. At my age I'm told it's good to exercise the noodle. I learned more about the LPR than I thought I ever wanted to know. Skud is right when he said, Full-time retirees,
students, or stay-at-home parents who are not looking for a job are excluded from the "labor force", but they are excluded when calculating the unemployment rate and not the LPR. It didn't make sense that the UR is 4.1% while the LPR is 61%.
Skud sh#t posts all the time. This time I took the bait and learned something. Thanks Skud. You and FJ are fun to play with once in a while. BTW, the LPR for prime working age (25-54) is 88%. We aren't all slackers.
All very sensible practice stuff, Dave. Although I still think the maximum taxable SS cap should be removed entirely.
We used to hear about a "lock box". SS taxes ought to be in an ironclad lock box.
But who knows, with AI proliferation (a technology humans likely will lose control over) the human race may soon be extinct.
Craig, If by insulting me denying you felt our education system works improves your mental capability then I have made a valuable contribution.
Dave, I have never said we have a decent tax system and I firmly believe Everyone should pay Their Fair Share. Not that it will happen but if we reduced government waste and fraud and everyone paid their fair share we could balance the budget.
SS should be paid from dollar one and have no ceiling. Eliminate the ceiling on what you pay in and raise the benefit payments accordingly which is now a fixed amount.
Although I don't support trumps promise about paying every American and there is outrage. I didn't see that outrage when biden gave selected individuals and businesses 3.5 trillion dollars during covid.
What a suprize finish to skud's comment above. Not.
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