Monaco

Located on the Mediterranean Sea, Monaco attracts tourists from all over the world who come to visit the casinos. Other visitors are drawn to Monaco because it was the home of actress Grace Kelly who married into the ruling Grimaldi family in 1956 or to see the celebrities who regularly visit the area. The per capita income of $27,000 earns Monaco the title of the 35th richest nation in the world. Business taxes are low, and there is no income tax at all. Consequently, Monaco has become a tax haven for the wealthy. Around 17 percent of the population continue to labor in the agricultural sector, and 22 percent of the labor force is unemployed. While the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) does not currently rank Monaco because of missing data, the standard of living is relatively high and is comparable to other French metropolitan areas. However, the quality of health-care in Monaco varies according to the ability to pay for services. As a result, those who live in poverty are more likely to suffer from conditions that are affected by living conditions and lifestyle.

The government spends 9.7 percent of the total budget on healthcare, allocating $4,487 per capita for health programs. Nearly 76 percent of all health-care funding originates from the government, and 98.6 percent of those funds are directed toward Social Security. The private sector accounts for 24.1 percent of total health funding. Of that amount, 85.30 percent evolves from out-of-pocket expenses. There are 5.81 physicians, 14.19 nurses, 0.31 midwives, 1.06 dentists, and 1.91 pharmacists per 1,000 population in Monaco.

The Social Security program insures most workers, and separate systems have been established to insure the self-employed, civil servants, and hospital and utility workers. Social security is financed through mandatory employee (6.15 percent of gross earnings) and employer (23.66 percent of gross payroll) contributions. Beneficiaries are the elderly, the disabled, and survivors. New mothers receive cash benefits if they meet eligibility requirements based on length of employment.

Monaco is small, covering an area of only 1.95 km2. The population of 32,543 people enjoys a life expectancy of 79.69 years. Women outlive men an average of eight years. Literacy is virtually universal at 99 percent. Most children attend primary school regularly. At the secondary level, females (71 percent) attend at a considerably higher rate than males (59 percent). The entire population has access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation. Monegasque women give birth at a rate of 1.76 children each.

Between 1990 and 2004, infant mortality dropped from 7 to 4 deaths per 1,000 live births, and under5 mortality decreased from 9 to 5 deaths per 1,000 live births. At present, the infant mortality rate is 5.35 deaths per 1,000 live births. Newborns are particularly susceptible to pneumonia, meningitis, sepsis/septice-mia, and various infectious diseases. Only 1 percent of Monegasque children are not immunized against diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus (DPT1 and DPT3), polio, hepatitis B, and measles. Ten percent are not immunized against tuberculosis.

The leading causes of death in Monaco are ishemic heart disease; cerebrovascular disease; trachea, bronchus, and lung cancers; colon and rectum cancer; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; endocrine disorders; falls; and diabetes.

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