Spain is now officially the healthiest nation in the world after beating other nations including Italy and Iceland. The title was given by researchers who carried out a study for the Bloomberg Healthiest Country Index which aimed at determining the overall health of 169 economies around the world.
The researchers analyzed data collected by the World Health Organization, United Nations Population Division, and the World Bank which considered lifestyle factors that included tobacco use and obesity and environmental factors including sanitation and access to clean water.
The nation's overall health grade was assessed based on all the factors provided. After analysis of all the factors, the index reflected that Spain is the healthiest country in the world after gaining a health grade of 92.75.
The United Nations collected data showed that Spain has the highest life expectancy compared to other countries in the European Union. It is behind Japan and Switzerland based on a global scale.
According to the Bloomberg Healthiest Country Index, Italy closely follows Spain in second place gaining a health grade of 91.59. it is followed by Iceland after gaining a health grade of 91.44. The index also showed that the United Kingdom is at the 19th place after getting an 84.28 health grade.
According to the previous study, a Mediterranean diet consisting of foods like olive oil and fish reduces the risk of mortality in older people. The University College London's research conducted in September 2008 said that people who follow the diet may less likely experience depression.
Austria is seventh on the list, Canada is at the 16th spot, the United States is the 35th, and China came at the 52nd place among other assessed nations for the study. The Bloomberg Healthiest Country Index las research study was in2017. The result of the study during that time is the healthiest Asian Nation. It is, currently, in the fourth place. The study of the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation in October projected that Spain will lead in terms of life expectancy compared to any country in the world by 2040. The nation's predicted average lifespan is at 85.8 years.
In 2040, predictions said that Japan's life expectancy will drop to second place in 2014 with an estimated average lifespan of 85.7 percent. In 2016, Japan's average lifespan is 83.7 years.
The top five healthiest countries in the world included Spain, Italy, Iceland, Japan, and Switzerland.
