There has been no improvement in the lives of those on low incomes in Ireland over the last six years even though the the country has entered the top 10 in the UN's quality of life league.
The United Nations Human Development Report for 2004 places Ireland 10th on a list of 177 countries in its Human Development Index (HDI), which measures income levels and health and education standards.
Last year Ireland was in 12th place and the country has moved up eight places in the last three years.
Norway, Sweden, Australia, Canada and The Netherlands ranked as the best five countries to live in, but Africa's quality of life plummeted because of Aids, the report released today said. Norway has led the list for the past four years.
The industrialised nations as usual were in the top 20, their ratings close to one another. Belgium was in sixth place, followed by Iceland, the United States, Japan, Ireland, Switzerland, Britain, Finland, Austria, Luxembourg, France, Denmark, New Zealand, Germany and Spain.
At the bottom of the list for the seventh year was Sierra Leone, emerging from a decade of civil war. Right above it were Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali and Burundi.
The world's newest nation, East Timor, was included for the first time and ranked 158th out of 177 countries.
The Human Poverty Index (HPI) places Ireland 16th with 12.3 per cent of the population living below the poverty line. This has not changed for the past six years.
In Africa, the Aids crisis reduced the average life expectancy in many countries to 40 years or less, making it the biggest factor in the decline of overall human development indicators, the report said. In comparison, the average life expectancy in Norway was 79 years.
At least 20 nations suffered development reversals since 1990, 13 of them in Africa: Angola, Central African Republic, Lesotho, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe, the report said.
In Latin American and Caribbean nations, Barbados again headed the list, in 29th place. Argentina ranked 34th, Chile, 43; Costa Rica, 45; Uruguay, 46; Bahamas, 51; Cuba, 52; Mexico, 53; Venezuela, 68. Surprisingly, Brazil dropped to 72nd place, one above Colombia, compared to last year when it ranked 65th.
In Asia, Hong Kong was in 23rd place and Singapore in 25th, South Korea in 28th, Thailand, 76; Philippines, 83; China, 94; India 127; Bangladesh 138 and Pakistan 142.
In the Middle East, Israel led the list in 22nd place, followed by Cyprus in 30th place, Bahrain, 40; Kuwait, 44; Qatar, 47; United Arab Emirates, 49; Libya, 58; Oman 74; Saudi Arabia, 77; Lebanon, 80; Jordan, 90; Tunisia, 92; Palestinian territories 102; Syria, 106; Algeria, 108; Egypt, 120; Morocco, 125 and Yemen, 149.
Additional reporting: