In recognition of Canada Day, we’re pausing today  to reflect on how lucky we are to live in Canada.

Every day on social media, I read friends complaining that Stephen Harper has ripped the heart out of the country. I hear conservatives complain of the overbearing government and high taxes.

But I really don’t think there’s a better place in the world to live. As proof, here’s some data (chosen in no particular order) on how we stack up internationally.

-  According to the World Happiness Report released in March, we’re No. 7 in the best places to live.

-  We’re No. 24 in the 2014 Environmental Performance Index. (Could be better, but we’re ahead of Japan, France and the U.S.A.)

-  Canada had a 2010 Gini Index score of 33.2 according to the World Bank (Most recent data available). The Gini Index measures inequality, and a low score is best. The only major economy with a lower score is Germany (30.6). We did better than the U.K. (38.0), U.S.A. (41.1) and China (42.1).

-  In its 2015 Freedom in the World Index, Freedom House assessed the countries of the world in grades of 1 to 7, with 1 being the highest mark. Canada earned a 1 for the Political Rating, a 1 for civil liberties and 1 for political rights.

-  According to Gallop, Canada had the seventh highest median household income in the world in 2013 at US$41,280. (This would have shifted since then with currency fluctuations.) It beat Germany, Japan and U.K.

-  The IMF in April said Canada was 21st in the world in terms of GDP per capita at US$45,723. It was 11th among democratic countries.

-  In the OECD’s 2012 PISA tests, which examined the educational performance of 15 year olds in 65 countries, Canada was 13th in math, sixth in reading and ninth in science.  

-  The World Health Organization ranks Canada’s healthcare system as the 30th best in the world. Lots of work to do there.

-  According to the Tax Foundation, Canada is 23rd in the world in tax competitiveness. That puts us in the same league with Germany at 20, the U.K. at 21 and Japan at 25.

So overall, it’s a pretty damn good country. And it’s celebrating 148 years of continuous democracy, a mark that’s exceeded by few countries in the world.

Happy Birthday, Canada. And thanks.