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Better countries than the Netherlands: Germany, Austria, Switzerland.
About equal: Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark, Scandinavia, Australia
Worse: The rest
Much worse: Africa, South America, parts of Asia, USA
How is the USA "much worse" and Africa, South America and "parts of Asia" are not countries. If you're rich all of Asia, Africa and south America are as good or better than the Netherlands.
It's amazing but far from being a paradise. Germany sucks a bit in regard to the people's mentality as compared to e.g. the Mediterranean states (Italy, France, Spain). I find many fellow countrymen to be rather arrogant, cocky, humourless and also either too politically-correct or too ignorant etc. In Mediterranean countries, there are more easy-going and fiery people which I prefer for that matter (might suck also after some time, though).
However, as the Dutch user claimed, it is also considerably better overall than the USA, the UK, Eastern Europe and the rest of the world. At least, everything is rather peaceful and "safe" (economically, politically etc) here.
Europeans seem to be very full of themselves. I think you need to be realistic.
Germany is clearly not the best country in the world.
I said that I don't like many Germans and the overall mentality of many people here but it's probably one of the better countries to be born in.
My dream country would be something like Spain or Italy (culture, people etc.) combined with Germany (economy, technology, quality of life) and a bit of Japan (innovation) and France/USA (political protest culture and freedom of speech).
Apparently (look at the graph) Estonia has the second highest taxes in Europe after Italy. The socialist utopia that is Scandinavia taxes their people less but we somehow get **** all back from the state for giving away two thirds of our income. Yeah, the best country in the world.
Apparently (look at the graph) Estonia has the second highest taxes in Europe after Italy. The socialist utopia that is Scandinavia taxes their people less but we somehow get **** all back from the state for giving away two thirds of our income. Yeah, the best country in the world.
It's not the marginal tax rate or the actual tax rate. As Estonia has a flat income tax rate, it can't be atop of the chart. The graph show how much of the state budget comes from direct taxes, meaning as the state don't have any possessions, and that situation is the worst/best in Italy and Estonia. Like if Tallink or SEB would be 100% state owned, it would drop the percentage, as the state itself collects from itself. Estonia due to its rapid liberation has very minnow state pension, property, energy or whatever investments anywhere. Italy had to sell a lot of their state possessions so the banks and state could secure loans. Estonia is second because the state doesn't have possessions, and almost everything into the state coffers comes from direct taxes. For comparison the Finnish state has investments and dividends in pension funds covering a 10 year budget. Norway with their oil money investments have a 100 years of state budgets covered.
The biggest personal marginal tax rate is in Denmark, not Estonia. Google translate is a bit poor on Estonian, but I believe this all is explained in the article.
e: and gold reserves are not possessions, as the price of gold is rather stagnant and don't give any dividends.
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