United Nations: India occupies 124th position among 173 nations rated on the United Nations Human Development Index, which seeks to measure quality of life taking factors such as per capita income, education, literacy, liberty and life expectancy into account.

Pakistan, which is under military dictatorship, is rated 138th but Sri Lanka finds much higher position at 89. Nepal occupies 142nd position while Bhutan is two steps up at 140. China is 96th but interestingly Cuba, facing prolonged American economic embargo, gets 55th position.

Hong Kong, which is rated separately from China, is at 23rd position, way ahead of the rest of the country.

While the UN Human Development Programme found progress in most countries in its latest ranking released on July 24, the report said more than 60 of the 173 countries ranked in this year's Human Development Index have lower income per capita today than before 1990s. Also, in 26 countries, incomes are lower than in 1980.

The report "shows substantial progress over the last decades in the level of human development in most parts of the world... but calls attention to tragic exceptions in Eastern and Central Europe, the former Soviet Union and sub-Saharan Africa, where many countries actually have a lower HDI today than they did at the start of the 1990s", the UNDP said.

Norway continues to be the best country to live so far as the quality of life is concerned for the second year in succession while the US occupies sixth position.

Topping the list, besides Norway, are Sweden, Canada, Belgium and Australia. Just below the US are Iceland, Netherlands, Japan, Finland, Switzerland, France, Britain, Denmark, Austria, Luxembourg, Germany, New Zealand and Italy.

The Europeans get the major share of the first 20 positions. Russia occupies 60th position and has fallen about 20 places since 1990.

Sierra Leone is at the bottom of the table and just above it are Niger, Burundi, Mozambique, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Guinea- Bissau and Chad.

The report shows a substantial slide in the sub-Saharan Africa, where drought, conflicts and AIDS are taking their toll and external aid is declining and in former Soviet Republics which are struggling to improve their economies.

Income, education and life expectancy has decreased among the sub-Saharan Africa as also former Soviet Republics and countries in Central and Eastern Europe during the last decade.

Barring these regions, the report indicates progress in the Index during the last decade with East Asian countries recording good progress since 1990, the financial crisis notwithstanding.

Among the economies in transition, only Poland and Hungary managed to retain their position but the slide continued in other states.

PTI