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Switzerland returns to the top spot in the overall 2022 Best Countries ranking, ahead of Germany and Canada – while South Africa moves down a spot to 42nd overall.
The ranking and analysis project by U.S. News & World Report; BAV Group, a unit of global marketing communications company WPP; and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, puts the United States fourth, Sweden fifth, and Japan sixth, while the United Kingdom ranks eighth, behind Australia.
Now in its seventh year, Best Countries evaluates 85 countries across 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, as determined by the most recent gross domestic product per capita data.
“The Best Countries rankings are designed to help policymakers and residents identify how perceptions affect their country’s standing among other nations,” said Kim Castro, editor and chief content officer at US News.
“Having quality of life as the top sub-ranking demonstrates that elements such as a good job market, affordability, political stability and well-developed health and education systems are playing an increasingly important role in shaping a country’s global image.”
The Russia-Ukraine War influenced perceptions of those two countries and neighbouring nations. Russia dropped to No. 36 in the Best Countries overall rankings, while Ukraine moved up to No. 62. Poland, Lithuania and Romania also moved up in the rankings.
The fear of rising inflation and economic decline is a top concern. Eighty-five percent of survey respondents believe inflation will worsen. Among survey participants, 58% agree with the statement, “I am willing to pay higher prices if it helps put more economic pressure on Russia.”
“This year we can truly see the growing significance of soft power over traditional forms of hard power when rating a country’s standing in the world,” said John Keaveney, advisor at [email protected]
“With the rise of importance in quality of life and social purpose in the Best Countries analysis and the declining prominence of military and economic might, we can see how much the general attitudes of the world are changing and what nations need to consider.”
The 2022 Best Countries rankings methodology is based on a proprietary survey of more than 17,000 global citizens from 36 countries, including business leaders, college-educated individuals who are middle-class or higher; and general citizens who are nationally representative of their country.
“In general, countries do not shift to any great degree from year to year,” said David Reibstein, professor of marketing at the Wharton School. “But in 2021 and 2022, we witnessed more turmoil than in any of the previous seven years of this study, resulting in more change in how people viewed countries.
“Perhaps the greatest shakeup influencing the rankings this year is the conflict in Ukraine, the insecurity within Europe itself, the threat of possible nuclear confrontation and the total disruption of energy supplies.”
Read: Why South Africa ranks as one of the worst places to live right now