SCOTLAND IS 'WORST SMALL COUNTRY' [+] serious ballot by seamus created Mon Jun 11, 07 Scotland is the worst performing small country in Western Europe, according to a report by business leaders. The Federation of Small Businesses' annual Index of Wealth compared 10 countries on economic performance, employment rates, health and education. Scotland's life expectancy rate was a major factor in it coming bottom. FSB Scotland said the new SNP government had its work cut out to improve the nation, but ministers said Scotland "can and will do better". Scotland also fell by one place, to 17th, in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's table of the world's 24 most developed countries. The FSB Scotland index examined countries with fewer than nine million people, including Norway, Iceland and the Republic of Ireland. The report was written by John McLaren, honorary research fellow at the University of Glasgow. He said Scotland had fallen one place from ninth after the previous bottom country, Austria, improved its employment rate. "The reason why Scotland is stuck at the bottom of the pile is largely due to our poor health and our low life expectancy," he said. Figures released last year by the Office for National Statistics said Scotland had the lowest life expectancy in the UK for both men and women. (...) BBC Online _____ Are you surprised by this? Aye No, not really Ballot #115539 : SEE RESULTS Comment: show your vote with comment?

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