Good Country Index

The Good Country Index measures how much each of the 125 countries on the list contribute to the planet and to the human race through their policies and behaviours.[1]

Description

The Index is a composite statistic of 35 data points which are mostly generated by the United Nations. These data points are combined into a common measure which gives an overall ranking and a ranking in seven categories such as Science and Technology, Culture, International Peace and Security, World Order, Planet and Climate, Prosperity and Equality, Health and Wellbeing.

The concept and the index itself were developed by Simon Anholt. The Index was built by Dr Robert Govers with support from several other organisations.[2]

The three top countries in the list published in 2014 are Ireland, Finland and Switzerland.[3] Nine of the top 10 countries in overall rankings are in Western Europe.[4] The last three countries on the list ranked Iraq, Libya and Vietnam.

Methodology

The Index attempts to measure the global impacts of national policies and behaviours: what the country contributes to the global commons and what they take away. The Index utilizes 35 data points, five in each of seven categories. These data points are produced by the United Nations and other international agencies and a few by NGOs and other organisations. Countries receive scores on each indicator as a fractional rank (0=top rank, 1=lowest) relative to all countries for which data are available. The category rankings are based on the mean fractional ranks on the 5 indicators per category (subject to maximum 2 missing values per category). The overall rank is based on the average of the category ranks. This yields a common measure which gives an overall ranking, a ranking in each of the seven categories, and a balance-sheet for each country that shows at a glance how much it contributes to the world and how much it takes away.[5]

Categories and indicators

Science, Technology & Knowledge

Culture

International Peace and Security

World Order

Planet and Climate

Prosperity and Equality

Health and Wellbeing

2014 Overall Rank

RankCountryScience and
Technology
CultureInternational Peace
and Security
World OrderPlanet and
Climate
Prosperity
and Equality
Health and
Wellbeing
1 Ireland2073344519
2 Finland718531214312
3  Switzerland632711016210
4 Netherlands1829732382
5 New Zealand1025371774117
6 Sweden8141118348
7 United Kingdom1129493096
8 Norway402458741416
9 Denmark14988526355
10 Belgium151100165653
11 France12269218102815
12 Canada2820106142304
13 Germany1151091293318
14 Austria241042432431
15 Australia1638891363614
16 Luxembourg551010119121913
17 Iceland24372715110144
18 Cyprus3358621223749
19 Spain37231202424491
20 Italy382210211446519
21 United States26411142839537
22 Costa Rica61643525194276
23 Malta643666369950
24 Chile524742271831114
25 Japan46447756117133
26 Kenya47842048981628
27 Singapore21398012120758
28 Slovenia171787236811126
29 Guatemala91572976422139
30 Greece34366533328771
31 Colombia578343107152929
32 Bulgaria19277936807055
33 Panama81437030374466
34 Estonia31610780666621
35 Portugal421911644486151
36 Mauritius693340321222763
37 Israel54081683563103
38 Ghana59621271726115
39 Ecuador105791039389038
40 Zambia908521472111124
41 Uruguay10458535139495
42 Slovakia432111049516962
43 Czech Republic48121347710067
44 South Africa2960153110212156
45 Jamaica65592362875172
46 Croatia35306273528584
47 South Korea303411945716065
48 Namibia745230893425120
49 Brazil75498337512352
50 Jordan39782101998125
51 Trinidad and Tobago764225641102286
52 Poland321610526838381
53 Thailand66677322978022
54 Paraguay120568603112527
55 Macedonia335582411192085
56 Tunisia58863182595468
57 Argentina6746552925105112
58 Malaysia492811387731091
59 Uganda71108416699169
60 Moldova446546511158454
61 Hungary913123597678101
62 Serbia233198521245279
63 Tanzania113743439310232
64 Botswana1076667544112113
65 Romania482975536911474
66 Mexico70739169844730
67 Morocco68907650855740
68 Egypt45801851118861
69 Lithuania2511125585710990
70 Bosnia and Herzegovina2261634010675109
71 Mozambique1038114755526122
72 Armenia509839729515110
73 Albania101549565501899
74 Kyrgyzstan7210347841141747
75 Malawi941134838676764
76 Lesotho114934204698116
77 Georgia6377511021051387
78 Sri Lanka87975455902394
79 Turkey5150112111609720
80 Kazakhstan10910526105864823
81 India5653449110711737
82 Belarus3663108631187446
83 Latvia2715124886289104
84 Lebanon5351115100643988
85 El Salvador9975111096310648
86 Peru88879681176282
87 United Arab Emirates824574122617653
88 Bolivia11610022427811541
89 Cameroon7312013707045125
90 Senegal781143283915960
91 Bangladesh1009452671175534
92 Saudi Arabia869985119794311
93 Kuwait8570181081047283
94 Honduras927219997511075
95 Russia4168901068811242
96 Democratic Republic of the Congo8312349115474092
97 Togo848961101125893
98 Madagascar80711711349116106
99 Ukraine13481175712096105
100 Oman1108824125586489
101 Dominican Republic1086999468911335
102 Congo12111160103846117
103 Nigeria1111109797410480
104 Laos7711893982711836
105 Sudan11812511896543224
106 Pakistan106109611041083843
107 China549159949610870
108 Rwanda102121561204034102
109 Mongolia62963811410150121
110 Qatar1129550118816878
111 Algeria79102459010912257
112 Cambodia11910128117539298
113 Syria9610457921137377
114 Philippines11510664618277107
115 Iran9311972971035673
116 Yemen9812269861009345
117 Venezuela117117347733124118
118 Benin9711577812110796
119 Indonesia1229236959210397
120 Zimbabwe60826811212582119
121 Angola124112781162895108
122 Azerbaijan95107122749486100
123 Iraq125116841246512059
124 Vietnam897610312312379111
125 Libya1231241693116119123

Criticism

Many have cited the Good Country Index as flawed and not representative of the actual country.[6]

See also

Notes and references

  1. Anholt, Simon; Govers, Robert. "About the Index". The Good Country Index. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
  2. Anholt, Simon; Govers, Robert. "Acknowledgements". The Good Country Index. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
  3. Anholt, Simon; Govers, Robert. "Overall Rankings". The Good Country Index. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
  4. Gander, Kashmira (24 June 2014). "Ireland is officially the 'best country in the world', says study". The Independent. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
  5. Anholt, Simon; Govers, Robert. "FAQ". The Good Country Index. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
  6. L.P., R.L.W. AND K.N.C. (24 June 2014). "The goodness of nations". The Fiscal Times. Retrieved 4 January 2016.

External links

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