These famous Americans all found the “good life” in France. And, it seems, so are many other less-famous Americans, including retirees and families. Nearly a decade ago, Elizabeth Bonner moved to France with her husband and children. She’s never looked back, and the family has now renovated two historic chateaus in the French countryside.

“It has turned out to be a glorious undertaking,” Bonner says. “We sit on our veranda on mild nights and are amazed by the brilliance of the stars. And we find ourselves continually amused, enriched, and surprised by the experience of French life.”

The “bon vivant” that France offers has led to its # 1 ranking as the best place in the world to live. That’s according to International Living magazine, which has been analyzing data and publishing its annual Quality of Life Index for 30 years now.

For the fifth year running, says publisher Jackie Flynn, France has again earned the top spot as the best place in the world to live.

The top 10 countries are:

1. France
2. Australia
3. Switzerland
4. Germany
5. New Zealand
6. Luxembourg
7. U.S.
8. Belgium
9. Canada
10. Italy

“It’s evident from our compilation that the British Commonwealth countries of Australia, New Zealand and Canada are doing very well, and despite the bumps in the road have managed dependable economic performance,” Flynn says. “Australia moved from fifth place last year into second place this year, largely thanks to its remarkable economic recovery. It’s already officially out of recession.”

Overall though, European countries slipped a little in International Living’s rankings this year, Flynn says, with the exceptions of France and Germany.

“Germany is taking giant strides toward economic recovery. And as for France, it ranks well in every category. It has a stable economy, top-notch health care, and an overall wonderful quality of life. No one can dispute its dominance in cultural offerings.”

Why did the U.S. fall from its rank at number three last year to number seven this year?

“Although the U.S. remains in the top 10,” says Flynn, “We can’t ignore the state of its economy. In this category, the U.S. scored 67 points in 2010 up from 57 last year but it’s still mired in recession, and in sector after sector the cost of sustaining the ‘American Dream’ has escalated out of the reach of many. The U.S. remains an excellent place to live, especially in terms of convenience, but it’s generally more expensive to live there now than it has been in years past.”

In 2010, Flynn says International Living will continue to focus on several countries, where you can achieve both a high standard and a low cost of living. In addition to France and Italy (#s 1 and 10 on the Quality of Life Index), these countries include Ecuador (#39); Panama (#34); Uruguay (#19); Belize (#63) Costa Rica (#33) and Mexico (#46).

To compile the Quality of Life Index, says Flynn, International Living editors compare almost 200 countries in nine categories: Cost of Living, Culture and Leisure, Economy, Environment, Freedom, Health, Infrastructure, Safety and Risk, and Climate. Data from government sources and resources like the World Health Organization and The Economist, are analyzed, and information is gathered from International Living’s many editors and correspondents around the world.

To see the complete scores for every country in every category, go to: www.internationalliving.com/qofl-data

For information about how the rankings were determined and an overview of the countries on the top ten list, go to: www.internationalliving.com/qofl2010

Here’s a look at the least corrupt countries:

1. New Zealand
2. Denmark
3. Singapore
4. Sweden
5. Switzerland
6. Finland
7. Netherlands
8. Australia
9. Canada
10. Iceland

To read more about the ratings, visit Transparency International.

Forbes has spanned the globe to determine its fourth annual Best Countries for Business rankings. Without further ado, here’s what the editors came up with:

1. Denmark

2. United States

3. Canada

4. Singapore

5. New Zealand

6. U.K.

7. Sweden

8. Australia

9. Hong Kong

10. Norway

To find out why these countries might lead the global recovery, visit Forbes.

Advertisement

Maybe you’ve suffered through a financial setback. Or a divorce. Or maybe some other bit of misfortune has left you wondering if it’s time for something completely different.

Think…Canada?

According to a recent survey conducted by HSBC bank, 95 percent of expatriates who settle in Canada have learned to make nice with the locals. Germany and Australia ranked high as well.

If you’re looking for a change of scenery, Forbes has the list of the strongest possibilities.

Here’s the Top 10:

1. Canada

2. Germany

3. Australia

4. United Kingdom

5. India

6. United States

7. Hong Kong

8. Spain

9. France

10. Netherlands

To see the rest, find out how the countries were ranked, and see a slideshow, visit Forbes.

The group has come into focus recently in the wake of the global financial crisis.

Who’s included? Here’s the list:

Argentina
Australia
Brazil
Canada
China
France
Germany
India
Indonesia
Italy
Japan
Mexico
Russia
Saudi Arabia
South Africa
South Korea
Turkey
United Kingdom
United States of America
(The European Union is also a member, represented by the rotating Council presidency and the European Central Bank.)

Source: G20.org

Not the good old U.S.A., it seems. Among the world’s nations, America’s average life expectancy of 78.14 years ranks just 46th overall, according to this year’s CIA Factbook.

On the other hand, that’s a whole lot better than Iraq, which checks it No. 142 with an average life expectancy of 69.62 years, or Afghanistan (No. 214/44.21).

Who’s last? The 223rd and final spot goes to Swaziland, where the average expectancy is just 31.99 years.

Health care, nutrition and lifestyle weigh strongly in longevity issues. In the United States, the lack of universal health care is blamed in part for the disappointing numbers.

On the brighter side, here are the most promising locales for living to a ripe old age:

  1. Macau: 84.33 years
  2. Andorra: 82.67
  3. Japan: 82.07
  4. Singapore: 81.89
  5. San Marino: 81.88
  6. Hong Kong: 81.77
  7. Australia: 81.53
  8. Canada: 81.16
  9. France: 80.87
10. Sweden: 80.74

Source: CIA Factbook

Where should you take that great idea if you want to have the best shot at a successful launch?

Here are the Top 10:

1. Singapore

2. New Zealand

3. United States

4. Hong Kong

5. Denmark

6. United Kingdom

7. Ireland

8. Canada

9. Australia

10. Norway

What’s so special about these places? To find out about these and more, and to view a slideshow, visit CNNMoney.com.

International Living magazine, which focuses on living and investing overseas, announced that Mexico tops its Annual Global Retirement Index. To determine the Annual Retirement Index, 29 countries, are analyzed and ranked in categories including real estate costs, special benefits offered to retirees, culture, safety and stability, health care, climate, infrastructure, and cost of living.

The Top 10 Best Places to Retire
(and total points out of a possible 100):

1. Mexico — 77
2. Ecuador — 76
3. Panama — 75
4. Uruguay — 74
5. Italy — 73
6. Brazil — 72
7. France — 72
8. Argentina — 71
9. Costa Rica — 70
10. Australia — 70

Read the article for the complete scores of every country in every category.

Source: International Living

Depends on what you consider “winning.”

China can claim victory, since the host nation won the most gold medals (51). The United States can say it won, too, since Americans brought home the most total medals (110).

And, oh, yes, other nations showed up, too. Here’s a quick list of the Top 10 in total medals from Beijing:

1. United States: 110 (36 Gold, 38 Silver, 36 Bronze)

2. China: 100 (51 Gold, 21 Silver, 28 Bronze)

3. Russia: 72 (23 Gold, 21 Silver, 28 Bronze)

4. Britain: 47 (19 Gold, 13 Silver, 15 Bronze)

5. Australia: 46 (14 Gold, 15 Silver, 17 Bronze)

6. Germany: 41 (16 Gold, 10 Silver, 15 Bronze)

7. France: 40 (7 Gold, 16 Silver, 17 Bronze)

8. South Korea: 31 (13 Gold, 10 Silver, 8 Bronze)

9. Italy: 28 (8 Gold, 10 Silver, 10 Bronze)

10. Ukraine: 27 (7 Gold, 5 Silver, 15 Bronze)

Source: Beijing 2008