I’ll admit up front, I had quite a difficult reaction to your piece. I wrote a comment, and then deleted it. And I re-read your story. I’m now struggling with it in different ways.

1. I don’t think income and affluence in comparison to others is ever (and I mean EVER) a reason to be happy or proud. Its simply not relevant, let alone appropriate in a healthy society.
2. I get the feeling a lot of the idea (and stats) for this story comes from the book Doing Better Good which I admit I have not read. But my understanding is that book is highlighting this relative affluence to encourage the reader to make impactful choices about charitable giving. Not to use it as a measure for self fulfilment.
3. There are a number of examples given where there are overt and visible problems and injustices in the world. Russia, China, Turkey, Mali, Nigeria to name a few. But that does not mean that there are no similar ones in the US or other Western Countries. Governments may well be trying to do the right thing and the Culture may suggest injustices are not acceptable. But they still happen with frightening repetition. I don’t know whats worse, open or veiled injustice.
4. This may not be everyones measure, but I suggest taking a look at the World Happiness Index as a way of measuring how good a country is to live in. And let me give the ending away, its not only based on income. [https://worldhappiness.report/ed/2020/]

Thank you for writing this piece. I certainly disagree but you gave me a chance to think through why it gave me the initial reaction it did.