The Social Progress Index is a new metric that measures progress through fulfillment of basic human needs rather than traditional indicators of economic growth.
The index, designed by a team led by Harvard Business School Professor Michael Porter, ranks countries on social and environmental measures that underline wellbeing and opportunity.
“The Social Progress Index shows that countries with similar levels of GDP can have very different levels of social progress,” Michael Green, Executive Director of the Social Progress Imperative, said.
One example: The U.S. leads OECD nations in total spending per capita on health care, but ranks only 11th of the 16 OECD countries in the Social Progress Index on health and wellness.
NOTE: There are several notable exceptions to the list of countries examined for the list, including the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, Austria, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Singapore, and New Zealand.
#10 You'll have a great life in Spain (if you can find a job).
Spain ranked 5th in Air, Water, And Sanitation but 27th in Shelter and 41st in Ecosystem Sustainability.
The country shined in regards to Opportunity, where it ranked 6th overall, 4th in Access to Higher Education, and 3rd in Equity and Inclusion.
The big issue for Spain is that 57.2% of under-25s are out of work, which means that frustrated youths are leaving in droves.
Source: Social Progress Imperative
#9 France is above-average all around.
France ranked 7th in Air, Water, And Sanitation but 14th in Shelter and 36th in Ecosystem Sustainability.
The country has middling ranks for Opportunity, where it ranked 11th overall. It ranks 8th for Personal Freedom and Choice and 11th for Personal Rights, but 15th for Equity and Inclusion and 14th in Access to Higher Education.
France's social policy lurched forward this week when the country legalized gay marriage after a harsh debate.
Source: Social Progress Imperative
#8 The Japanese feel safe and sheltered.
Japan ranked 1st in Shelter and 4th in Personal Safety, but lagged in Air, Water, and Sanitation (10th), Nutrition (12th), and Health and Wellness (10th). It also ranked 40th in Ecosystem Sustainability.
The country performs well in Personal Rights, where it ranked 8th, but ranked 26th in Personal Freedom and Choice, 20th in Equity and Inclusion, and 15th in Access to Higher Education.
Source: Social Progress Imperative
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