Icelanders Enjoy Top Spot on Wellness Chart.

The study, published in this week's Lancet, calculated the risk of death for people ages 15 to 59. In Iceland, 64.9 out of 1,000 men and 44.2 out of 1,000 women will likely die before turning 60.

Compare that impressive statistic to the United States, which ranked 47th overall. Here, 130 men and 77.5 women in 1,000 will die before the age of 60. That's well behind other Western countries like England, and also leaves us trailing Cuba, Libya and Algeria -- and narrowly edging out Iraq.

While the United States is "definitely on the wrong trajectory," according to Chris Murray, one of the study's authors, Iceland seems to be the top destination for those hoping to make it to old age.

"The coverage and quality of clinical health care is high," according to a 2000 report on Iceland from the World Health Organization. Health care in the country is largely government-financed, with patients shelling out around 15 percent of treatment costs for specialists.

Primary care, which also includes preventive medicine, physical therapy and home nursing, is available at local clinics.

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