The best country to live in? It's Switzerland: the top ten best countries 2018
The best country to live in Next are Canada, Germany and Great Britain. New Zealand is the ideal destination for pensioners
Switzerland is the best country in the world. Again. Famous for its political neutrality and economic stability, the Swiss nation maintains the primacy of Best Countries for the second consecutive year. Thanks to its progressive social and environmental policies. The report, presented at the World Economic Forum in Davos and carried out in collaboration with U. S. A. News and The Wharton School-University of Pennsylvania, analyzed 80 countries based on a series of criteria ranging from economic influence and political power to the quality of life of citizens, so as to understand how nations are actually perceived worldwide.
21 thousand people were interviewed who expressed their views on parameters such as security, the ease of finding a job in line with their expectations, the economy and entrepreneurship.
Switzerland is therefore the leader in the 2018 ranking, which is also considered the most suitable country to establish the headquarters of a corporation. Immediately after that, we find Canada which, thanks to government action, has earned a reputation for being the first country to offer an excellent quality of life and the fourth for the quality of citizenship. For the first time, the interviewees were asked to give their opinion on the main world leaders. Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are considered the most respected leaders, while US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin received the highest score in terms of disapproval. Among the top business leaders, the most respected is Eric Schmidt executive president of Alphabet, homemadre of Google.
Returning to the countries, Germany is in third place in Best Countries as an open nation, with a transparent government and a strong focus on gender equality. All these aspects led her to climb one step up in the standings compared to the previous year. The country also ranks first for entrepreneurship. Great Britain lost a position, fourth in the rankings, due to the lack of public confidence in its post-Brexit economic power, but remains at the top in terms of education.
Japan is firmly in fifth place thanks to very high scores for entrepreneurship, emerging economies and tradition. Singapore and China, respectively in 16th and 20th place, are among the best ranked countries in Asia, thanks to their strong potential for economic growth.
Sweden, the sixth, is rewarded for its commitment to social assistance programmes and investment in the financial markets. Australia is seventh because of its economic stability and high quality of life. The United States falls by one step and ranks eighth, losing ground in two categories: openness to business and emerging economies. According to analysts, the perception of the US as a politically stable, democratic and open country has diminished. However, the perception remains intact that it is the most powerful nation for the third year in a row, followed by Russia in 2nd place.
Close the top ten France and Holland. The French Republic has won points for its cultural importance, good food and modernity. The Netherlands, on the other hand, is renowned worldwide for its socially progressive and environmentally friendly society. In general, it is all the nations of northern Europe that stand out in the top 15 places. Denmark, for example, is the number one policy for women and children, and Sweden wins on green living.
Luxembourg turns out to be the most business-friendly country, New Zealand the ideal destination for retiring, while Brazil is the 1st country to visit. What about Italy? Our peninsula is perceived as a trendy nation and conquers the first position for excellent food, fashion and traditions.