green = strong, yellow = average, red = weak
According to a brand new study, Finland turns out to be the world’s most prosperous nation. Perhaps not the most obvious choice, but it is not entirely surprising since in 2007 a Reader’s Digest study determined Finland to the Best Country To Live In. And in the past few years Finland has also been ranked a leading country in areas like competitive economy, least corrupt, most sustainable environment, academic abilities of 15 year olds, readership of newspapers, investments into research & development, and use of the internet.
The Nordic countries and Switzerland are the Top 5 most prosperous countries in the world, and the U.S. makes it to the Top 10 list with its ranking as number nine. Oceania is well represented with both Australia and New Zealand among the Top 10. Not surprisingly, Zimbabwe is ranked as least prosperous nation.
This according to the Legatum Prosperity Index published today. Legatum is a British independent research, policy, and advocacy organisation that promotes political, economic and individual liberty in the developing and transitioning world. It has published an annual Prosperity Index since three years.
The Prosperity Index aims to answer the following questions: What is prosperity, and how is it achieved?
The Index is calculated based on rankings in the following categories:
• Economic Fundamentals
• Entrepreneurship and Innovation
• Democratic Institutions
• Education
• Health
• Safety and Security
• Governance
• Personal Freedom
• Social Capital