London's Legatum Institute has released its annual ranking of the most prosperous countries in the world... When compiling it, 104 factors were taken into account, both traditional: how rich the country is, gross domestic product per capita and the number of people working full-time, and more interesting numbers, such as the number of secure Internet servers that the country has, and how well rested the people of the country feel (on a day to day basis).
These factors were then reduced to nine sub-indices: quality of the economy, business environment, power, education, health, safety and security, personal freedom, social capital, and the state of the environment.
The ranking includes 149 countries of the world, and Russia got the 95th line, next to Nepal and Moldova. Here are the top 10 most prosperous states in the world.
10. United Kingdom
Despite Brexit, the UK made a jump in its happiness index, moving up from 15th place in 2015 to top 10 countries in terms of philanthropy.
9. Denmark
Scandinavia has a very high standard of living, and Denmark, ranked ninth, is actually the least prosperous country in the region.
8. Sweden
Slightly higher than its neighbor Denmark, Sweden is ranked third in the economic quality sub-index and also fifth in governance, but still fell overall to eighth from fifth in 2015.
7. Netherlands
This country has an excellent education system (second in the corresponding sub-index), as well as a healthy economy (second in the economic quality sub-index). In terms of the environment, however, the Netherlands ranks 36th. The country occupies one of the leading places in gasoline quality rating worldwide.
6. Australia
Known for its laid-back lifestyle and good weather, Australia came in second in the social capital sub-index, helping it climb one spot from the 2015 prosperity rankings.
5. Canada
A significantly more prosperous country compared to its northern neighbor, a stronghold of democracy, which ranked 17th. Canada ranks third in the social capital and business environment sub-index, and also second in the personal freedom sub-index.
4. Switzerland
Quiet, rich and the cleanest country Switzerland is renowned for its education (ranked first among other countries in the top 10 most prosperous countries) and excellent medical care. It is ranked third in the health system sub-index.
3. Finland
The most prosperous country in northern Europe. Finland has the best leadership in the world, according to the Legatum Institute.
2. Norway
For seven consecutive years, Norway ranked first on the list of the most prosperous countries on Earth, but in 2016 it lost that title to number one in the ranking.
1. New Zealand
Officially the most prosperous country in the world according to a study by the Legatum Institute, New Zealand ranks first in the social capital and economic quality sub-indices and second in the business environment and power sub-indices. The Good Index Country named New Zealand one of the the best countries in the world in 2016.
An upward trend in global prosperity has been demonstrated in Western Europe, Latin and Central America, and in Asian countries, thanks to improvements in health care and education.
However, the picture is not overwhelmingly positive. The rise of the Islamic State, Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups since the Arab Spring has severely curtailed wealth growth in the Middle East.
And the Western world is not immune from problems. American prosperity has stagnated over the past decade. Even countries that have not been hit hard by the financial crisis (such as Australia) have seen a decline in prosperity over the past decade.