Best and worst places to die
The Economist published its 2015 Quality of Death Index ranking the quality and availability of palliative care in 80 countries around the world. The UK ranked best in the first index in 2010.
Click through to see the 10 best and worst countries to die in.
Best place to die
Once again, Great Britain ranked #1 on the list.
The Economist's global survey looked at factors including pain relief, spiritual and psychological support, helping patients remain active as long as possible, emotional support for patients' families, and care "intended to neither hasten nor postpone death."
"The things that make a better death are so simple," says Ros Taylor, national director for hospice care at Hospice UK. "It's basic knowledge about good pain control and conversations with people about the things that matter -- that could transform many more deaths."
Best places to die
Australia is the 2nd best place to die.
An important factor in the top countries' rankings is wealth. Most of the list's top 20 are rich Western and Asian-Pacific nations.
Best places to die
New Zealand is ranked the 3rd best place to die.
But the report notes that even the top-rated countries still fall short in providing adequate palliative care services for every citizen who needs them.
Best places to die
Ireland is ranked 4th on the list.
Best places to die
Belgium is ranked the 5th best place to die.
It rated high on affordability, along with Australia, Denmark, Ireland and the UK. Those countries cover 80 to 100 percent of the cost of palliative care.
Best places to die
Taiwan is the 6th best place to die.
The report says cultural shifts are needed even in the best of countries to help enhance the quality of life for dying patients and their families. It also calls for better palliative care training for medical staff.
Best places to die
Germany is ranked the 7th best place to die.
Best places to die
The Netherlands is ranked 8th on the list.
Best places to die
The U.S. is ranked the 9th best place to die.
The U.S. was given a score of 80.8 out of a possible 100. The main negative was the high cost of care, ranking 18th on the affordability scale.
Best places to die
France rounds out the top 10 best places to die.
As more people are living longer, the report says improving the quality and availability of palliative care is becoming more important than ever.
Worst places to die
Now for the bottom of the list: China was ranked as the 10th worst place to die in The Economist's 2015 Quality of Death Index.
With a rapidly aging population, China's needs are growing, but the report says recent investments in hospice and palliative services may indicate progress is on the way.
While many developing countries struggle to provide palliative care, the report points out several that have made significant progress, such as Mongolia (ranked #28) and Panama (#31).
Worst places to die
Botswana is ranked 9th worst.
Many developing countries lack the medical staff and basic infrastructure to provide pain management to patients who need it.
Worst places to die
Iran came in 8th worst.
Worst places to die
Guatemala is the 7th worst place.
Worst places to die
The Dominican Republic is 6th worst.
Like several other low-ranking countries, the government has no strategy for developing and promoting palliative care nationwide, the report says.
Worst places to die
Myanmar is the 5th worst place to die.
Worst places to die
Nigeria was rated the 4th worst place to die.
"Nigeria has a very big and diverse population and it's a big country too, so to make an impact, they need to more than triple their efforts," says Dr. Emmanuel Luyirika, executive director of the African Palliative Care Association and an expert adviser on the report.
Worst places to die
The Philippines is the 3rd worst place to die.
Among other concerns, it has a severe shortage of specialists trained in palliative care and no process for accrediting medical professionals in the field.
Worst places to die
Bangladesh is the 2nd worst place to die.
Worst place to die
Iraq was ranked worst on the list of 80 countries for the quality of palliative care.