Where in the world to live where people are cared about?

[Feathersandothers]

That’s it really . If you live somewhere where people have access to good healthcare, affordable bills, access to good free education , low crime .. where is it? Nowhere is perfect but some places must be better.
I didn’t live in the UK for most of my adult life, but I am British.
I’ve lived here for the past few years and don’t think I can do it much longer .
But I’m aware that places that I lived that were good before COVID etc are probably feeling the ramifications of global issues as we are here.
So if you live in a place where it feels that the government have your back, where are you?

Finland did have the world's highest, or one of the highest, suicide rates, but not any longer. It has come out the happiest country for 5 years running, I think. But as a pp said, probably more content/secure than grinning-like-a-gibbon happy.

I have friends in Helsinki and their apartment block has centralised heating- their costs are pretty low. They have fab jobs but live in a tiny apartment. They also have a “hut” in the country. Basic but a lovely location. Climate a bit brutal although I was over in November and it was a sunny 70 degrees.

Similarly poor climate and very long and dark winters, and despite the TV series, very low crime rates but Shetland might be worth a look. Fantastic facilities (funded by the oil money), excellent education and very nurturing culture. Council is currently running a campaign to encourage more people to consider living there. (Main town has similar heating system to Helsinki).

I have a lot of family in Canada. They have a nice lifestyle although healthcare etc is very much tied to employment.

@jollygreenpea
Why do I like the Uk? Well, where I live it's beautiful - forest and river, so green and just glorious. My commute is a walk along said river and I love it. Schools round here are excellent. Crime rate so low as to our neighbourhood paper talks about things like 'a plant pot was knocked over.' No problem ever with getting a same day doctors appointment. People are friendly. I have many friends and I love the British sense of humour. My job allows me to live in a beautiful house. I could go on.

.@arethereanyleftatall please can I know your county at least so I can swap!!

Crime rate so low as to our neighbourhood paper talks about things like 'a plant pot was knocked over.

That made me laugh, it does sound idyllic and jealousy inspiring. It's such a shame at times that so many wonderful things and people right under our noses but we fail to see them.

Scandinavian countries may offer what you want but it isn’t just a matter of uping and moving to one. Getting residency is difficult. There are a lot of points you need to fulfil.

I doubt anyone here is seriously relocating to Scandinavia. I'm sure most of us realise it's not easy. Still, nice to dream.

I'm in Belgium and it's not perfect and taxes are really high but I feel they are used well (in most cases) and there are a lot of advantages for families.
Creches - subsidised
School - free from age 2.5 with low cost pre/afterschool care and amazing value holidays clubs (lots of choice)
Uni tuition about 800 euros per year.

Healthcare - amazing - no problem to get a same day doctors appointment but it's not all free at point of use. You need hospitalization insurance and not every single bill is covered 100%
Family allowance - goes up the more children you have, so e.g 120 euros for one child, larger families could get 400 euros plus per month.
Tax - 50% for anyone over about 25k per year, but personal allowances for children and non-working spouses.
Pension - about 60% of average working wage.
Highly unionised - any changes at work are likely to be closely scrutinized and challenged
Very common to have a company car or free transport pass to get to work
Luncheon vouchers - up to 10 euros a day also very common.
Rental property - a 9 year lease is standard and you can only be asked to leave under very limited conditions. You can treat the place as your own but are VERY much expected to put it back to the state you found it in when leaving.
ID cards that are centralised meaning you can access info and services easily - and travel in Schengen without a passport.
There are downsides of course, but since Brexit and the current shower of shit being in charge, there is no way I would leave.

I’ve lived in a few of these countries described as Utopia - like I say greener-grass.

@arethereanyleftatall we have hard-hitting stories in our local paper too. Someone lost their prescription between the chemist and home. A wheelie bin was set on fire and “described as looking scorched”.

I don't think it is the country that is so important but the type of location.

Lots of people have suggested the Scandi countries but aside from the winters they have their own issues. The level of things like rape and murder have gone through the roof in Sweden in the last 20 years - there are no go areas in places like Malmo and Stockholm. Norway is very affluent (low population and things like Norge look after the economy) but has massive drug problems. Anyone who has been to Helsinki will know it is beautiful but like living in a time warp.

I think medium sized towns/cities that are relatively affluent are the way to go for quality of life. Most of these in England at least have cathedrals or public schools (think Winchester, Marlborough, Hereford, Ely). This would apply for me on the continent as well - Montpelier for example or Trier. Some of them you might die of boredom in though

Large cities are a no-no in this regard unless you have a lot of money - of the ones I have been to in Europe Munich, Milan and Vienna are good. Don't know Copenhagen so can't comment but it has a good rep as well. Places like Paris are just dirty and crime ridden

No one is describing anywhere as ‘Utopia’. No one is that silly.

access to good healthcare, affordable bills, access to good free education , low crime…
Is this utopia now ? 🤔
Or have we lowered our standard somewhat ?
For utopia I could make a few more suggestions, but I think these baseline ones are things that would make life more enjoyable. Indeed I’ve lived in several of the places mentioned, and although most certainly not utopia, our quality of life was far better.

@Feathersandothers As you keep avoiding the question of where you have lived and presumably found wanting, people are not able to make the best suggestions for new places.

Lol. Not everyone can afford to live in an affluent 'cathedral city.' @arethereanyleftatall I'd love to move from the depressing brexit voting shit hole I currently have to live in, with crap schools, most of the once thriving town centre full of empty boarded up shops, homeless on every corner, complete lack of NHS dentists, increasing crime. Sadly my socially valuable profession doesn't pay me enough to do that.
Out of interest where do you live and would my budget of £250,000 get me anything ?

@Jansobieski where I love it would… how many bedrooms do you need?

My son lives in Finland. He has just fixed his electricity at €0.27 per kwh. He us also on a district heating system that is included in his rent as is his broadband. His rent is lower than he was paying for a smaller flat in a Midlands city in the UK 2 years ago. He is at uni with no fees and receives €250 a month student support. He lives in a city slightly bigger than Milton Keynes and in the winter there are 14 free ice rinks in hhe city. Within a few minutes walk he can swimming in a lake in summer or skiing it in winter.
When he cut his hand in a lab accident it was less just over 3 hours before He was back home having been stitched at the hospital.

Finland borders Russia - don't think I'll be moving there at the moment.

Vienna?

It depends what stage of life you’re at too.

I am happy in New Zealand. I have easy access to excellent healthcare and education, I feel safe, I feel as though I live in a caring community and I like my home. I also feel that we have a government that is genuinely hardworking and focused on delivering to the people.

I do acknowledge however that my experience is not that of everyone’s. Anyone trying to break into the housing market has a steep hill to climb, and access to good education and healthcare is infinitely more difficult in particular areas.

Life in general is much more difficult for Māori and Pasifika because we are still trying to decolonise. So I don’t claim to speak for everyone but for me, having lived in 6 different countries, this one is very comfortable.

Oh, and I have a 240sq m house and pay NZ$120 a month for power.

Singapore always strikes me as being very safe and well functioning. Don't know how easy it is to get a rich expat contract these days.

I live in a small village in the UK and I feel cared about here and we have excellent services. (South west)

Forgive me, but I can't help think that people that are desperately searching for countries that 'care for people' tend to be those that want to be cared for or feel entitled to have a better standard of living than they can afford in their own right.

Education and healthcare is by it's very nature extremely expensive and about as far away from 'free' as you can get. The fact that you can access these things in the UK without paying at the point of use or paying insurance/sufficient tax means that someone else is subsidising you. In the UK, we have got so used to these things being 'free' that many now expect a fantastic service without actually funding it. We complain about waiting times and bad schools, yet noone is happy to pay more tax themselves or contribute more money as there is always the easy target of taxing the rich more. I'm not saying certain individuals or corporations couldn't be taxed more, but there isn't a general acceptance from the wider population that they may have to contribute more or work in any way harder in order to fund the services they use.

I think some of this stuff is really difficult and hard to accept in the UK where our expectations are potentially higher than what we can afford or are prepared to pay for. We simply can't afford to do everything and look after everyone in the way they would like. It doesn't mean we don't care or that that people don't matter.

The huge issue in the UK is the ever increasing gap between rich and poor.
CEOs of poorly performing water companies are paid over a million a year whilst our minimum wage is just £18k.

I would say Norway but left field

cuba