Writer: Hira Ejaz
Gaining the perks of superior education, medical facilities, and a myriad of opportunities to establish and flourish your business are what come with one’s far-sighted decision to move to the US from Pakistan and highlights a stark contrast between the lifestyles of the two. Though Pakistan comprises diverse cultures and varied ethnic groups and offers a lifestyle within one’s affordability, the US still has the upper hand over Pakistan and almost all other countries when it comes to serving the citizens with the fundamental facilities of health and education. In addition to that, the US stands to be the world’s largest economic hub, with its GDP standing at over $21 trillion in 2021, as per Trading Economics.
“The pro-growth agenda in the US —fewer regulations, lower corporate tax rate, and focus on infrastructure redevelopment—keeps the US ahead of the rest of the world as a business destination,” says Chris Higginbotham, Deputy Director of Outreach, SelectUSA. Thus, the US is definitely a destination that is massively attractive to outsiders to settle in permanently and relish the luxuries of a prosperous and blissful life adorned with the most desirable health, education, and business opportunities.
It is often said that happiness lies in a healthy lifestyle. The best health care system becomes a priority when an individual moves to settle down in a foreign country. And the US, here, too, stands among the countries holding the leadership position. Healthcare is an extensive term that refers to the various systems humans rely on to preserve personal health by treating (or preventing) illness, injury, disease, and other physical or mental disabilities. Many countries and their masses consider access to healthcare as a fundamental human right. People who lack access to quality healthcare are more prone to have a poorer quality of life and lower life expectancy than those who enjoy access to a stable and affordable healthcare system. Consequently, countries with more efficient and effective health care systems have overall higher health outcomes than countries whose health care systems fall behind. Let us compare the healthcare facilities provided by the US and Pakistan to their citizens.
CEOWORLD Magazine’s Health Care Index “is a statistical analysis of the overall quality of the health care system, including health care infrastructure; health care professionals (doctors, nursing staff, and other health workers) competencies; cost (USD p.a.per capita); quality medicine availability, and government readiness.”
It has given each country a score for each of the above factors and then a total score out of 100. As per this index, the rankings of the US and Pakistan in terms of health care are:
Best Healthcare in the World 2022
| Country | LPI 2020 Ranking | LPI 2019 Ranking | CEO World Ranking | 2022 Population |
| Denmark | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5,834,950 |
| Norway | 2 | 1 | 15 | 5,511,370 |
| Switzerland | 3 | 3 | 18 | 8,773,637 |
| Sweden | 4 | 4 | 28 | 10,218,971 |
| Finland | 5 | 5 | 12 | 5,554,960 |
| Netherlands | 6 | 6 | 11 | 17,211,447 |
| New Zealand | 7 | 7 | 16 | 4,898,203 |
| Germany | 8 | 8 | 17 | 83,883,596 |
| Australia | 16 | 17 | 6 | 26,068,792 | |
| Hong Kong | 17 | 15 | 36 | 7,604,299 | |
| United States | 18 | 18 | 30 | 334,805,269 | |
| Japan | 19 | 19 | 5 | 125,584,838 | |
| Iraq | 137 | 136 | 87 | 42,164,965 |
| Pakistan | 138 | 139 | 88 | 229,488,994 |
| Guinea | 139 | 143 | 13,865,691 | |
| Togo | 140 | 140 | 8,680,837 |
Where in the above table,
LPI = Legatum Prosperity Index
In the table above, the rankings of the US and Pakistan have been highlighted to let the readers know the health standings of the two among other countries. The readers can now decide which of the two countries offers a more prospering lifestyle and what they should opt for settling in.
Education is the second most important facility one wants to avail for their children. Education is one of the best indicators of a nation’s future prosperity. Today’s youth will be governing the world in the coming years. Their thoughts and actions will be forged by what they know and have experienced, which, in return, will impact their attitudes towards building a productive society. Education distinguishes the lifestyles of the United States and Pakistan.
The 2021 Best Countries for Education are determined by a perception-based global survey that combines scores from three equally weighted country attributes: having a well-developed public education system, if people would consider attending university there, and whether that country provides a high-quality education.
Here are the Best Countries for Education in 2021:
- United States
- United Kingdom
- Germany
- Canada
- France
- Switzerland
The United States of America not only wields global economic and military dominance, it also exerts significant international educational influence. Universities in America are head and shoulders above all other countries for their quality of teaching and research. American universities are the largest and most coveted educational destinations for international students seeking education abroad. The system of education in the US is more adaptable and versatile. Around 30% of the international students choose the US for their higher studies. The qualifications from the universities of the US are recognized throughout the world for their academic excellence. (Shree, 2017)
Similarly, bringing Pakistan’s education system into consideration, according to The Express Tribune, The Global Innovation Index (GII) ranked Pakistan 99th out of 132 economies in 2021, indicating the country’s low literacy rate and lack of major investment in innovation in the form of education, research, and development. The literacy rate in Pakistan is 62.3%, and the country spends roughly 2.9% of its GDP on education. Pakistan suffers from a lack of innovation because of low literacy, poor on-the-job training, and a lack of considerable educational investment.
“Individuals with low literacy skills are underprepared for the labor market, higher education and on-the-job training. Pakistan has been unable to make the necessary investments in Research & Development, education, strong infrastructure, and institution-supporting innovative activities, to improve the country’s educational system”, reported The Express Tribune.
The same GII listed Switzerland, Sweden, and the US as the world’s top three innovative economies.
Following health and education, another factor that seizes one’s attention while moving to a foreign country to settle in is how favorable and flourishing its business environment is. For a foreign investor, no country other than the one offering business growth and expansion opportunities is worth living in, as this country will present more chances of a favorable lifestyle.
Pakistan is ranked 108 among 190 economies in the ease of doing business according to The World’s Bank Ease of Doing Business (EODB) global ranking 2019. On the other hand, The United States is ranked 6 among 190 economies in the ease of doing business, according to the World Bank 2019 ratings.
EODB provides objective measures of business regulations and their enforcement across 190 economies. The project, which commenced in 2002, examines domestic small and medium-sized companies and assesses the regulations applying to them through their lifespan. It captures several important aspects of the regulatory environment as they apply to local firms. It provides quantitative indicators on regulation for starting a business, dealing with construction permits, getting electricity, registering property, getting credit, protecting minority investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts and resolving insolvency.
Therefore, having manifested the contrast between the two countries’ healthcare systems, education standings, and business enabling environment, it is now quite evident to the readers which of the two would suit and fit more to their needs and demands of a luxurious and superior lifestyle.