First let's look at the numbers. Norway ranks first globally as having the highest human development index; Australia, Iceland, Canada, and Ireland follow. The U.S. fell one place from last year and comes in thirteenth, or just behind Japan, Luxembourg and Finland.

When we analyze the wider list, one sees Singapore's standing at 23, Hong Kong at 24, South Korea standing at number 26. Russia ranks at 71 and Brazil at 75. Mainland China's standing improved seven places and now stands at 92. Taiwan, which would have ranked highly, is politically airbrushed out of the data stream. East Asia, along with Europe and North America, rank among the best regions in this global snapshot.

Sadly, countries like Central African Republic, Sierra Leone and Afghanistan are at the bottom of the list.

The report views global migration issues as a key factor prompting development. Interestingly one discovers, “Most movement in the world does not take place between developing and developed countries; it does not even take place between countries. The overwhelming majority of people who move do so inside their own country.” Indeed, one of the biggest global flows of people is within mainland China. The report adds, “Between 1984 and 1995, the People's Republic of China progressively liberalized its strict regime of internal restrictions, allowing people to move from one region to another. Massive flows followed.” The massive urbanization and progress of coastal China is testament to this trend.

Yet there is no doubt that political issues, as much as access to a better life, gainful employment, educational and health opportunities, often drive that mobility. When it comes to the U.S., Canada or Germany for that matter, the largest share of legal (and illegal too) migrants come from developing countries. In the U.S. between 1960 and 1969 about half of the migrants came from developing countries. Between 1990 and 2004 (the most recent data) at least 90 percent come from developing states.

The reasons are obvious but the attractions are glaring. Despite the domestic and often fear-driven health care debate in Washington, let's look at health care in the U.S. In the United States, the per capita health expenditure is US$3,074; higher than in all one of the top ten counties except Norway. In Canada spending is US$2,585 and in Britain US$2,434. In contrast, per capita health care spending stands at US$404 in Russia, US$327 in Mexico, US$137 in Nicaragua, US$44 in Indonesia, and US$8 in Pakistan.

Moreover the U.S. allocates 19 percent of its budget to health care as compared with 13.4 percent in Sweden or 16.5 percent in the United Kingdom.

The educational opportunities are no less narrow between the developed and developing worlds. Looking at the wider educational opportunities, developed countries naturally serve as a magnet. The report adds, that in many cities, the children of migrants make up a significant part of the students; “in Brussels they represent over 40 percent of the school age population, while in New York they are half and in Los Angeles county almost two-thirds.”

But going beyond the plethora of statistics, there are philosophical reasons for success in developed states. The bigger picture reveals that nearly all the successful top-tier countries have a common thread of political democracy, the rule of law, and largely market economies which noticeably contrast with the statism and socialism often found in the developing world. The key ingredient in the mix remains, not only hard work, but liberty.

John J. Metzler is a United Nations correspondent covering diplomatic and defense issues. He can be reached at: jjmcolumn@att.net