The phrase "as the second least" is not correct in standard written English.
It is typically used to compare two or more items in terms of their ranking or degree, but the construction is awkward and unclear.
Example: "The city ranked as the second least populated in the state."
Alternatives: "the second lowest" or "the second smallest".
As Guardian datablog reported, the UK is ranked as the second least neighbourly country in the EU.
And here we are, in 2016 with Sydney claiming the dubious distinction as the second least affordable market after Hong Kong.
More than 70% of the country's population lived below the poverty line; the UN ranked the country as the second least developed in the world; and an estimated two-thirds of its youth were unemployed.
The index ranks countries according to perceptions of how corrupt they and their companies are, and the British authorities eagerly point out that Britain is ranked as the second least corrupt among the G7 countries (after Canada)—ie, it comes above the United States.In the latest ranking, Britain comes 13th, with America in 16th place.
The recent death of cultural icon Michael Jackson on June 25 , 2009 came in as the second least happy day in the past two years.
Bisexual men are the least likely members of the LGBTQ community to come out, with bisexual women coming in as the second least likely in the LGBTQ community.
She noted that, according to the National Low Income Coalition, Westchester is ranked as the sixth least affordable area in the country.
The IMF's Global Housing Watch has Australia ranked as the third least affordable place in the world to buy a house – behind only Belgium and Canada.
Last October, the National Low Income Housing Coalition in Washington ranked Nassau and Suffolk as the seventh least affordable area in the nation for middle-income housing.
As the fourth least reputable company in 2013, AIG's score dropped 10.75 points to 39.17.
