Best/Worst
Best Countries 2025
Best Countries Overall Score
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Country | Best Countries Overall Score 2024↓ | Power Score 2024 | Life Quality Score 2024 | Social Purpose Score 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Switzerland | 100.0 | 28.2 | 96.5 | 90.3 |
 | Japan | 96.6 | 62.9 | 73.1 | 33.3 |
 | United States | 94.2 | 100.0 | 55.4 | 47.1 |
 | Canada | 94.1 | 41.2 | 94.2 | 97.8 |
 | Australia | 92.9 | 32.6 | 88.1 | 88.2 |
 | Sweden | 91.7 | 18.2 | 99.9 | 99.8 |
 | Germany | 90.6 | 81.0 | 88.7 | 74.6 |
 | United Kingdom | 87.9 | 83.3 | 80.5 | 71.8 |
 | New Zealand | 86.0 | 11.6 | 81.5 | 92.9 |
 | Denmark | 85.2 | 17.3 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
 | Norway | 83.6 | 13.7 | 94.3 | 96.6 |
 | France | 82.9 | 63.1 | 61.8 | 57.4 |
 | Netherlands | 82.3 | 19.8 | 85.6 | 89.2 |
 | Singapore | 81.7 | 22.0 | 53.1 | 24.9 |
 | Italy | 81.1 | 35.4 | 55.4 | 43.3 |
 | China | 80.0 | 95.8 | 49.4 | 3.4 |
 | United Arab Emirates | 79.1 | 52.2 | 46.9 | 11.2 |
 | South Korea | 78.1 | 64.3 | 50.3 | 12.4 |
 | Spain | 77.8 | 27.2 | 59.8 | 51.3 |
 | Finland | 77.0 | 8.2 | 90.0 | 92.4 |
 | Austria | 67.3 | 11.8 | 78.8 | 78.6 |
 | Iceland | 65.2 | 2.9 | 58.0 | 76.7 |
 | Belgium | 65.0 | 15.6 | 76.4 | 80.3 |
 | Ireland | 63.8 | 7.6 | 69.8 | 70.0 |
 | Qatar | 60.8 | 28.8 | 36.2 | 4.9 |
 | Greece | 60.4 | 8.1 | 34.5 | 34.6 |
 | Luxembourg | 59.5 | 8.4 | 61.7 | 62.7 |
 | Thailand | 57.1 | 11.0 | 27.3 | 11.0 |
 | Portugal | 56.7 | 9.2 | 57.8 | 48.1 |
 | Brazil | 55.7 | 24.6 | 20.3 | 16.4 |
 | Turkey | 53.9 | 33.4 | 28.4 | 6.7 |
 | Saudi Arabia | 48.2 | 56.6 | 30.8 | 5.8 |
 | India | 46.4 | 45.1 | 20.9 | 3.5 |
 | Mexico | 45.6 | 14.8 | 23.3 | 11.0 |
 | Egypt | 43.5 | 15.4 | 13.4 | 7.0 |
 | Russia | 37.9 | 91.0 | 17.7 | 7.4 |
 | Poland | 37.3 | 11.1 | 51.7 | 46.9 |
 | Malaysia | 35.8 | 8.4 | 30.1 | 9.4 |
 | Morocco | 31.9 | 5.0 | 17.8 | 5.7 |
 | South Africa | 31.7 | 16.8 | 13.8 | 14.5 |
 | Indonesia | 30.5 | 13.5 | 21.5 | 4.0 |
 | Argentina | 30.3 | 9.0 | 16.4 | 19.0 |
 | Costa Rica | 28.9 | 2.5 | 14.1 | 10.8 |
 | Vietnam | 26.6 | 15.7 | 21.8 | 2.7 |
 | Philippines | 25.0 | 7.4 | 20.2 | 9.2 |
 | Israel | 24.2 | 56.2 | 12.7 | 5.0 |
 | Croatia | 23.6 | 2.8 | 25.0 | 22.9 |
 | Cyprus | 22.4 | 1.2 | 14.5 | 11.5 |
 | Peru | 21.3 | 3.2 | 12.1 | 8.9 |
 | Czechia | 21.0 | 3.8 | 31.4 | 27.2 |
 | Dominican Republic | 20.8 | 2.6 | 11.2 | 6.1 |
 | Chile | 20.7 | 6.2 | 14.7 | 12.8 |
 | Kuwait | 19.2 | 18.8 | 15.9 | 0.3 |
 | Hungary | 18.2 | 4.8 | 30.7 | 26.6 |
 | Sri Lanka | 16.0 | 5.1 | 8.3 | 1.6 |
 | Colombia | 15.5 | 8.7 | 9.3 | 7.0 |
 | Panama | 15.3 | 4.3 | 7.2 | 5.2 |
 | Romania | 14.9 | 2.4 | 18.3 | 14.6 |
 | Kenya | 12.7 | 3.2 | 6.3 | 6.9 |
 | Tunisia | 12.5 | 3.1 | 8.3 | 4.1 |
 | Oman | 12.3 | 6.0 | 8.8 | 3.9 |
 | Estonia | 12.0 | 14.9 | 22.6 | |
 | Lithuania | 11.9 | 0.6 | 16.2 | 18.8 |
 | Bulgaria | 11.8 | 1.4 | 18.3 | 15.0 |
 | Slovenia | 11.8 | 0.2 | 15.0 | 20.9 |
 | Uruguay | 10.6 | 2.1 | 11.5 | 14.1 |
 | Latvia | 10.4 | 0.3 | 14.9 | 20.2 |
 | Cambodia | 10.0 | 4.7 | 9.5 | 1.2 |
 | Bahrain | 9.8 | 4.7 | 12.4 | 1.4 |
 | Slovakia | 8.7 | 0.6 | 14.6 | 17.1 |
 | Bangladesh | 8.2 | 8.0 | 10.8 | 1.4 |
 | Jordan | 8.0 | 7.2 | 7.1 | 3.9 |
 | Myanmar | 7.5 | 5.4 | 6.1 | |
 | Uzbekistan | 7.5 | 6.8 | 2.6 | 2.5 |
 | Ecuador | 7.5 | 3.6 | 7.5 | 6.3 |
 | Zimbabwe | 6.8 | 3.5 | 4.4 | 4.3 |
 | Ghana | 5.8 | 4.0 | 6.1 | 3.5 |
 | Guatemala | 5.8 | 3.1 | 4.0 | 3.9 |
 | Ukraine | 5.7 | 35.7 | 12.6 | |
 | El Salvador | 5.7 | 4.3 | 2.9 | 4.5 |
 | Azerbaijan | 5.6 | 4.6 | 4.2 | 2.8 |
 | Iran | 5.1 | 33.9 | 2.0 | 1.0 |
 | Kazakhstan | 4.1 | 6.6 | 4.0 | 3.7 |
 | Honduras | 4.1 | 2.7 | 4.0 | 3.6 |
 | Cameroon | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 4.8 |
 | Algeria | 3.5 | 3.7 | 5.3 | 5.0 |
 | Lebanon | 2.0 | 6.2 | 1.8 | 2.1 |
 | Serbia | 1.5 | 4.3 | 5.6 | 7.9 |
 | Belarus | 16.7 | 1.0 | 3.9 |
- The Best Countries rankings are generated annually by the US News and World Report with the help of BAV Group and the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. The rankings assess 73 country attributes spread across 10 subcategories.
- Higher scores are preferable.
Which country is the best country? Simple answers to this question are easy to find but change dramatically depending upon personal opinion and one’s definition of the word “best”. Is it the country with the most wealth? The one with the greatest personal freedoms? Or perhaps the one with the highest happiness, most Nobel Prize winners, largest actual size, or something else entirely? Scientifically and statistically sound answers prove challenging to obtain.
One of the most sophisticated and respected attempts to determine the world’s “best” countries is the annual Best Countries rankings, which is generated by the US News and World Report with the help of BAV Group and the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. The Best Countries rankings begin with the selection of the 87 countries most likely to appear in the “best” rankings. These countries produce approximately 95% of global gross domestic product and represent almost 80% of the world’s population. More than 17,000 surveys are then conducted regarding these nations, with specific attention paid to 73 specific country attributes. The results of these surveys are then compiled to produce a statistically valid, data-backed ranking of the “best” countries.
Best Countries Categories
The 73 country attributes surveyed by the Best Countries rankings can be grouped into 10 overarching subranking categories such as Social Purpose, Power, and Cultural Influence, each of which contributes a weighted percentage of the final country rankings. The categories comprising 68 attributes with their corresponding percentages for 2024 are listed below. The remaining five attributes tracked are used for purposes other than determining the country rankings and so are not shown.
| Category | Weight | Components |
|---|---|---|
| Adventure | 5.37% | Friendliness, fun, tourism appeal, climate, scenery, sexiness |
| Agility | 14.02% | Adaptability, progressiveness, responsiveness |
| Cultural Influence | 10.44% | Modernism, cultural significance of entertainment, fashionability, happiness, cultural influence, strength of consumer brands, prestige, trendiness |
| Entrepreneurship | 14.13% | Connection to rest of the world, education of population, entrepreneurialism, innovativeness, ease of access to capital, skill of labor force, technological expertise, transparency of business practices, digital infrastructure, physical infrastructure, development of legal framework |
| Heritage | 3.13% | Cultural accessibility, richness of history, cuisine quality, cultural attractions, geographical attractions |
| Movers | 11.54% | Dynamism, difference, distinctiveness, uniqueness |
| Open for Business | 9.43% | Manufacturing costs, favorability of tax environment, degree of bureaucracy, corruption, transparency of government practices |
| Power | 5.00% | Global leadership, economic influence, strength of exports, political influence, strength of international alliances, strength of military |
| Quality of Life | 14.12% | Strength of job market, affordability, economic stability, family-friendliness, income equality, political stability, safety, development of public education system, development of public health system |
| Social Purpose | 12.83% | Care for animal rights, care for human rights, care about environment, commitment to climate goals, commitment to social justice, gender equality, racial equality, religious freedom, respect for property rights, trustworthiness, distribution of political power |
Profiles of the World’s Six Best Countries
1. Switzerland
A consistent top performer, Switzerland ranked #4 in 2021, moved to #1 in 2022, and maintained its top position into 2023 and 2024 with a score of 100. Known for its historic neutrality even during World War II, Switzerland places second in the Open for Business category in 2024 with a score of 99.7 and also scored in the top ten in the categories of Cultural Influence (8th), Social Purpose (7th), Entrepreneurship (5th), and Quality of Life (3rd). Switzerland has low unemployment, a skilled workforce, highly developed financial services and high-tech manufacturing industries, and one of the highest gross domestic products per capita in the world. The Swiss have also collected more patents and [Nobel Prizes] per capita than any other citizenry and enjoy one of the world’s longest life expectancies of any population in the world.
2. Japan
Japan remains one of the world’s most advanced and influential nations as of 2024 with a Best Countries Overall score of 96.6, continuing to excel across a range of economic, cultural, and technological indicators. This year, Japan ranked #3 globally in Entrepreneurship, with a score of 96.2, reflecting its strength in innovation, infrastructure, and a highly educated workforce. It also placed #5 in Cultural Influence (80.5), #8 in Power (62.9), #8 in Agility (77.5), and #8 in Movers (73.8). In terms of Quality of Life, Japan scored a respectable 73.1, placing 14th. Japan’s reputation for precision manufacturing, technological excellence, and cultural exports—from anime and cuisine to fashion and design—continues to shape global trends. The Japanese benefit from a world-class transportation system, high life expectancy, and a strong sense of national identity, making Japan one of the most admired countries in the world.
3. United States
The third-best country of 2024 (sixth-best of 2021, fourth in 2022, and fifth in 2023) is the United States, which ranked first in the Agility and Power, and second in Entrepreneurship categories. The reach and impact of the US is significant, from its economic and military influence to its pop culture, spread by music, movies, and television programming. The US has the highest GDP in the world (and the highest GNI/GDI as well), and is one of the most technologically advanced countries. The US also boasts the highest military spending (though arguably not the largest military).
4. Canada
Canada took first place in 2021, dropped two spots in 2022, took second place in 2023, and placed fourth in 2024. The second-largest country in the world in terms of total area, Canada posted top-ten rankings in Agility (2nd), Entrepreneurship (6th), Quality of Life (5th), and Social Purpose (3rd). Canada boasts a high standard of living and has embraced its multiculturalism admirably. Its economy is driven by a healthy service sector. Canada also has some of the world’s largest oil reserves and is one of the world’s leading oil producers.
5. Australia
Australia (fifth in 2021, seventh in 2022, fourth in 2023) earned the ranking of the fifth best country in the world in 2024. The country also ranked in the top 10 for Agility (3rd), Quality of Life (8th), Social Purpose (9th), and Adventure (9th). Australia is considered a wealthy nation, its market-based economy having a rather high gross domestic product and per capita income. The service sector and the export of commodities drive the country’s economy.
6. Sweden
Sweden (fifth place in 2022, ninth in 2021) took the sixth spot in 2024. The country ranked first in both Quality of Life and Social Purpose in 2022 and 2023 and also ranked high in Open for Business (4th), Entrepreneurship (9th), and Agility (7th) in 2023. In 2024, Sweden ranked 2nd for Quality of Life and Social Purpose, 9th in Agility and Entrepreneurship, and 3rd in Business. Similarly to the Swiss, the people of Sweden enjoy quite high life expectancies and have remained largely neutral through many significant military conflicts. While Sweden’s taxes are high compared to many other countries, they are often used to benefit society as a whole, such as providing all citizens with no-cost health care and tuition-free university education. Sweden is also among the world’s greenest countries, with a high recycling rate. Swedes are also known to be quite generous and donate the equivalent of roughly 1% of the country’s gross national product to aid programs each year.
