The Best Countries Report 2022 ranks Switzerland No. 1 in the world
Quality of life factors as most important for rankings.
WASHINGTON, September 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Switzerland returns to the top of the standings 2022 Best Countries, a ranking and analysis project by US News & World Report; BAV Group, a unit of global marketing communications company WPP; and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Now in its seventh year, Best Countries rates 85 countries based on 73 attributes. Attributes were grouped into 10 sub-rankings including Entrepreneurship, Agility and Social Purpose. Quality of life became the most heavily weighted sub-ranking this year, based on the latest GDP per capita data.
“The ranking of the best countries is designed to help policymakers and residents see how perceptions affect their country’s standing among other nations,” he said Kim Castro, Editor and Chief Content Officer at US News. “The quality of life as the top sub-ranking shows that elements such as a good labor market, affordability, political stability and well-developed health and education systems play an increasingly important role in shaping a country’s global image.”
For the fifth time, Switzerland maintained the No. 1 spot, with Germany coming at no. 2 followed by Canada at #3. The United States moved up two positions to 4th, followed by Sweden at #5.
Key themes from the 2022 Best Countries report:
- Switzerland returns to #1. The country that held the top spot from 2017 to 2020 performed well on the quality of life and social purpose attributes. It is also perceived as a country that cares about human rights, gender and racial justice, and the environment.
- The Russia-Ukraine war influenced the perception of these two countries and neighboring states. Russia fell to 36th in the overall ranking of the best countries, while Ukraine moved up to 62nd place. Poland, Lithuania and Romania also climbed the rankings.
- The fear of rising inflation and economic decline is one of the biggest concerns. 85 percent of survey participants believe that inflation will get worse. 58% of survey respondents agree with the statement, “I’m willing to pay higher prices if it helps to put more economic pressure on me Russia.”
- COVID-19 continues to impact perceptions of healthcare. 79% of respondents agree with the statement, “I support my country’s efforts to protect its citizens from the COVID-19 pandemic,” while only 65% agree with the statement, “I trust my government to take care of my health.” and safety.”
- There is a desire for global leadership – as well as female leadership. 89% agree “We need leaders who think beyond their own borders or their own interests,” while 69% agree “Countries led by women tend to be better led,” an increase of 1 .4 points compared to the previous year.
“This year we can really see the growing importance of soft power over traditional forms of hard power when it comes to assessing a country’s standing in the world,” he said John Keaveneyconsultant at [email protected] “With the increasing importance of quality of life and social purpose in the best countries analysis and the decreasing importance of military and economic power, we can see how much the general attitude of the world is changing and what nations need to consider.”
The ranking of the best countries 2022 methodology based on a proprietary survey of more than 17,000 global citizens from 36 countries, including business leaders, college graduates from middle class and above; and general citizens who are nationally representative of their country.
“In general, countries don’t shift much from year to year,” he said David Reibstein, Professor of Marketing at the Wharton School. “But in 2021 and 2022 we experienced more turbulence than in any of the previous seven years of this study, resulting in a greater change in how people view countries. Perhaps the biggest shock affecting the rankings this year is the conflict in Ukrainethe inner insecurity Europe itself, the danger of a possible nuclear confrontation and the total disruption of the energy supply.”
That Best countries Rankings are part of US News’ Government Rankings initiative, which measures government performance at the international, state, and local levels Best conditions and Healthiest Communities projects.
Ranking of the best countries 2022
Check out the full ranking here.
- Switzerland
- Germany
- Canada
- United States
- Sweden
- Japan
- Australia
- United Kingdom
- France
- Denmark
For more information visit Best countries and use #BestCountries on Facebook and Twitter.
About US News & World Report
US News & World Report is a global leader in quality rankings that empower consumers, business leaders and policymakers to make better, more informed decisions on important issues affecting their lives and communities. A multifaceted digital media company with platforms for education, health, money, travel, autos, news, real estate and 360 reviews, US News offers rankings, independent reporting, data journalism, consumer advice and US News Live events. More than 40 million people visit USNews.com each month for research and guidance. US News was founded in 1933 and is headquartered in Washington, D.C
About the BAV Group
BAV Group is a global consulting firm with expertise in consumer insights and brand marketing strategies. Using BrandAsset® Valuator, a proprietary brand management tool and a global database of consumer perceptions of brands, BAV informs on strategic and creative solutions that drive business results. For over 29 years, BAV has collected data and consumer insights on more than 60,000 brands in over 50 countries around the world, assessing 75 relevant dimensions of brand image and brand equity. BAV Group is a unit of global marketing communications company WPP. Visit bavgroup.com to learn more.
About the Wharton School
Founded in 1881 as the world’s first college business school, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania shapes the future of business by generating ideas, driving insights and creating leaders who change the world. With a faculty of more than 235 renowned professors, wharton has 5,000 undergraduate, MBA, Executive MBA and PhD students. Each year, 13,000 professionals from around the world advance their careers through Wharton Executive Education’s individual, company-specific and online programs. More than 104,000 Wharton alumni form a powerful global network of leaders who transform business every day. For more information visit www.wharton.upenn.edu.
SOURCE US News & World Report, LP