Washington, D.C. – For the second year in a row, Switzerland tops the general ranking of countries Best countries, a ranking and analysis project produced by US News & World Report; global marketing and communications services company WPP; and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
The 2023 Best Countries Analysis, now in its eighth year, evaluates 87 countries across 73 attributes, using a methodology developed by WPP’s BAV, the company’s proprietary brand analysis tool. business. The attributes are grouped into 10 sub-classifications, ranging from entrepreneurship and quality of life to power and wealth. Entrepreneurship is the most weighted sub-ranking this year, as determined by the most recent data on gross domestic product per capita.
“A country’s economy, as well as its potential for success in key areas such as trade, travel and investment, depends in part on how it is perceived globally,” said Morgan Felchner, U.S. News news and events editor. “The 2023 Best Countries Rankings and Report examines these perceptions based on several qualitative characteristics, giving policymakers and residents of various countries useful insight into the perceived value of their country.
This is the sixth time that Switzerland has held the top spot, having held it from 2017 to 2020. It performed well in the sub-rankings entrepreneurship, quality of life, openness for business and social purposes. Canada moved up to second, Sweden moved up two spots to third and Australia moved up three spots to fourth. Rounding out the top 5 is the United States, which fell one rank and saw its biggest drop in the open for business sub-ranking. New Zealand and the Netherlands return to the top 10 after a year of absence.
Key themes from the 2023 Best Countries Survey and Report:
- As the world experiences record temperatures, most agree on the impact of climate change. Eighty-eight percent of respondents agreed to some extent with the statement “The effects of climate change are real,” while 71 percent agreed with the statement “I am willing to do financial sacrifices to fight climate change.
- Few in the United States and Sweden consider universal health care a human right. Outside of the United States, the only country that recorded less than 85% agreement that universal health care is a human right is Sweden (83%), which is perceived to have the health system most developed and developed public. among all the countries included in the survey, the most health conscious.
- Inflation remains a global concern. With many countries struggling with high inflation rates over the past year, 84% of respondents believe inflation will continue to get worse – although this share is down slightly compared to 85% in 2022.
- Western and Eastern countries disagree on the benefits of social media. Several countries in Asia (China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand) and the Middle East (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates) saw more than 80% of their respondents agree that social media have a positive effect on society, while many Western countries saw a majority, if not a near majority, of their respondents disagreeing with this statement.
- Global support for immigration is in slight decline. Fifty-nine percent of respondents – up from 61% in 2022 – agree to some extent with the statement: “My country should be more open to immigration.”
“Switzerland’s enduring success in the ranking of the best countries not only highlights its entrepreneurial strength, its quality of life and its positive global image, but also underlines its transformation towards an economy increasingly anchored in science and technology. precision technology,” said David Roth, president of WPP BAV. . “Exploring consumer attitudes toward priority topics – innovation, climate change, healthcare, inflation and social media, to name a few – allows for a nuanced understanding of complex global landscape, helping brands build strategies that resonate with and scale across diverse audiences. to evolving societal priorities around the world.
The ranking of the best countries 2023 methodology is based on an exclusive survey of more than 17,000 global citizens from 36 countries, including business leaders and college-educated, middle- and upper-middle-class individuals; and citizens in general who are representative of their country at the national level. The survey was conducted from March 17 to June 12, 2023.
“Nations are brands in themselves, just like products, and the perception of a country’s brand affects its economy,” said David Reibstein, a marketing professor at the Wharton School. “This report is an overview for nations of how they are perceived and where they can work to boost foreign direct investment, foreign trade and tourism. »
Ranking of the best countries 2023
See the full ranking here.
- Swiss
- Canada
- Sweden
- Australia
- UNITED STATES
- Japan
- Germany
- New Zealand
- United Kingdom
- The Netherlands
- United Arab Emirates
- Qatar
- Egypt
- UNITED STATES
- China
- Russia
- New Zealand
- Canada
- The Netherlands
About U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is the global leader in quality rankings that enable consumers, business leaders and policymakers to make better, more informed decisions on important issues affecting their lives and communities. A multi-faceted digital media company with education, health, money, travel, cars, news, real estate, careers and 360-degree reviews platforms, US News offers rankings , independent reporting, data journalism, consumer advice and U.S. News Live events. More than 40 million people visit USNews.com every month for research and advice. Founded in 1933, US News is headquartered in Washington, D.C.
About WPP
WPP is the creative transformation company. We use the power of creativity to build a better future for our people, our planet, our customers and our communities. For more information, visit www.wpp.com.
About the Wharton School
Founded in 1881 as the world’s first collegiate business school, the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania shapes the future of business by incubating ideas, generating knowledge, and creating world-changing leaders. With a faculty of more than 235 renowned professors, Wharton serves 5,000 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students. Each year, 13,000 professionals around the world advance their careers through Wharton Executive Education’s individual, personalized, 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.