Where-to-Be-Born Index by Country 2024

No one can control where they are born, but statistics indicate some countries provide a better start in life and are more desirable to be born in. The Where-to-Be-Born Index rates countries by how desirable they are to be born in. This rating, which is in a score from 0 to 10, is based on a number of data points. These include data related to quality of life, such as political policies, the country's geography, how much freedom people have, the demography of the country, and the social and cultural characteristics of the country. The most recent data on the Where-to-Be-Born Index is from 2013.

Switzerland, Australia, and Norway Rank Best

Switzerland is the highest-ranking country on the index, with a score of 8.22. Its relative peace and overall political freedom earn it this high ranking. It is quite a bit higher than the next closest country, Australia, which had a ranking of 8.12. Norway comes next with a ranking of 8.09.

Three additional countries, Sweden, Denmark, and Singapore, all rank at 8 or higher. Interestingly, all three countries of Scandinavia are on this list. In addition, over half of the countries in the top 10 on the list were European countries.

How the Ranking Works

The Where-to-Be-Born Index ranked 80 countries and territories across the globe. The Index is published by the Economist Intelligence Unit of the Economist Group, and it measures the following:

• Life expectancy
• Political freedoms
• Divorce rates
• Gender equality
• Corruption in government
• Homicide rate
• Unemployment rate
• Climate

In total, the index measures 11 different metrics and uses them to come up with an overall rating.

Worst Countries to be Born

While the list focuses on finding the best places to be born, some countries score quite poorly. Nigeria has a score of 4.74 due to its political unrest and low life expectancy. Kenya and Ukraine also ranked below 5 on the ranking.