When it comes to living a healthy lifestyle, the Nordic countries seem to have it all.
Sweden is perceived to be the most health-conscious country in the world, according to data from the 2017 Best Countries rankings, a characterization of 80 countries based on a survey of more than 21,000 global citizens.
Nearby Norway, Denmark and Finland also round out the top 5, placing second, fourth and fifth, respectively. Meanwhile, the United States comes in at No. 19.
These same northern European nations — known for high quality of life, exemplary sustainable living and well-developed public health care systems — consistently top the World Happiness Report, which ranks 155 countries based on their happiness levels.
This correlation between health and happiness isn’t lost on the rest of the world, which often tries to mimic the habits of Scandinavia.
For example, the Nordic diet, which recently gained popularity, emphasizes weight loss and lower blood pressure through a diet rich in foods like root vegetables and oily fish native to the region.
[READ: The 10 Countries With the Best Food]
Perceived health-consciousness, however, doesn’t necessarily equate to longevity.
For example, Singapore — ranked No. 23 on our health-conscious list — boasts a life expectancy of 85 years, according to the World Factbook estimates for 2016. Meanwhile, the average Swede lives to be just over 82 years old.
In honor of World Health Day, here are the countries perceived to be the most health-conscious:
| Country Name | Health-Conscious Rank | Best Countries Overall Rank | Life Expectancy |
| Sweden | 1 | 6 | 82.1 |
| Norway | 2 | 10 | 81.8 |
| Switzerland | 3 | 1 | 82.6 |
| Denmark | 4 | 12 | 79.4 |
| Finland | 5 | 13 | 80.9 |
| Canada | 6 | 2 | 81.9 |
| Netherlands | 7 | 11 | 81.3 |
| Austria | 8 | 18 | 81.5 |
| Australia | 9 | 8 | 82.2 |
| Germany | 10 | 4 | 80.7 |
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The 10 Most Health-Conscious Countries in the World originally appeared on usnews.com
