US Slips Out of Top 10 ‘Happiest Countries’ from Newsmax.com
For the first time, the United States does not rank in the top 10 of the Legatum Institute’s annual ranking of the World’s Happiest Countries.
The country ranked No. 10 last year in Legatum’s Prosperity Index, which has been computed for the past six years, but this year the United States ranks No. 12.
The Prosperity Index is based on a study of 142 countries. Nations are ranked on 89 indicators in eight categories including Economy, Governance, Education, Health, Personal Freedom, and Entrepreneurship & Opportunity.
“In general, the most prosperous (thus ‘happiest’ in my book) countries enjoy stable political institutions, a strong civil society with freedom of expression, good education and healthcare, personal freedom, and a feeling of being safe and secure,” observes Christopher Helman on Forbes.com.
The United States slipped to No. 12 in the Entrepreneurship & Opportunity category “due to a decline in citizens’ perception that working hard gets you ahead,” the Legatum’s report states.
America ranks only 27th in Safety & Security and 20th in Economy, but No. 2 in Health and No. 5 in Education. Its rank for Personal Freedom is 14th.
Luxembourg is the healthiest nation, Iceland the safest, and Switzerland is tops in the Economy and Governance categories. But the No. 1 spot overall goes to Norway, which ranks among the top six in seven categories and is No. 1 or No. 2 in three of them.
Norway has a per capita GDP of $57,000 a year; 95 percent of Norwegians say they are satisfied with the freedom to choose the direction of their lives; and 74 percent say other people can be trusted.
The No. 2 spot goes to Denmark, which is tops for Entrepreneurship & Opportunity, followed by Sweden, Australia, New Zealand (which has the No. 1 spot in the Education category), Canada (No. 1 in Personal Freedom), Finland, Netherlands, Switzerland, Ireland, Luxembourg, and the United States.
At the bottom of the rankings at No. 142, the “saddest” country is the Central African Republic, where the per capita GDP is $790 a year and life expectancy is 48 years. The country ranks dead last in Education and next to last in Entrepreneurship & Opportunity.
The next lowest ranking goes to Republic of Congo — last in Health and Entrepreneurship & Opportunity — followed by Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, and Haiti.
Among other countries, Iran is No. 102, Mexico is No. 61, Iraq is No. 131, Israel is No. 40, and China is No. 55.
The most dangerous country on earth? Chad, which ranks No. 142 in the Safety & Security category.
Yemen ranks last in Personal Freedom, although several countries including North Korea were not included in the rankings.