Good Country Index Explained

The Good Country Index measures how much each of the 163 countries on the list contribute to the planet, and to the human species, through their policies and behaviors.^{[1] [2]}

Top 50 overall rank (version 1.5)

2022 rank[3]	Country
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50

2018 top 10 overall rank (version 1.3)

2018 rank[4]	Country
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

2017 top 163 overall rank (version 1.2)

data-sort-type=number	2017 rank[5]	data-sort-type=text	Country	data-sort-type=number	Science and Technology	data-sort-type=number	Culture	data-sort-type=number	International Peace and Security	data-sort-type=number	World Order	data-sort-type=number	Planet and Climate	data-sort-type=number	Prosperity and Equality	data-sort-type=number	Health and Well-being
1		8	2	27	3	19	4	9
2		11	4	44	10	2	5	6
3		4	6	64	9	14	2	3
4		7	13	52	8	6	9	12
5		21	15	37	2	18	14	7
6		17	5	67	4	26	3	1
7		32	8	50	21	10	1	2
8		5	11	48	12	11	35	4
9		6	7	65	1	17	13	28
10		49	22	51	7	5	8	5
11		24	14	53	16	3	17	23
12		3	19	17	43	32	23	33
13		9	1	109	13	22	7	16
14		29	25	41	11	39	27	8
15		26	29	14	30	21	19	49
16		41	26	55	14	7	36	24
17		12	35	33	19	27	69	17
18		40	30	70	15	9	34	22
19		37	10	100	20	30	56	11
20		31	44	73	17	4	38	59
21		61	45	18	47	33	47	21
22		14	39	69	32	40	39	53
23		20	48	54	6	50	102	13
24		39	12	133	28	23	21	39
25		38	67	72	29	35	62	10
26		27	47	115	31	15	50	29
27		15	37	77	42	1	105	41
28		36	3	93	72	57	37	27
29		44	34	103	33	98	65	19
30		23	21	107	24	34	46	79
31		47	46	9	64	73	22	87
32		10	16	160	18	12	77	57
33		62	28	124	5	20	42	76
34		2	9	98	48	60	98	47
35		74	51	19	26	43	73	91
36		33	38	146	58	13	10	83
37		52	41	34	40	149	19	46
38		55	75	78	39	51	40	44
39		76	32	16	22	46	82	110
40		30	31	58	36	37	81	112
41		13	17	104	70	42	80	70
42		18	23	99	56	16	124	64
43		83	27	56	34	78	25	126
44		45	85	10	114	79	43	58
45		28	33	84	45	132	6	106
46		19	55	135	54	65	74	34
47		25	65	2	25	150	114	56
48		42	20	113	52	24	142	52
49		135	59	6	37	8	135	80
50		35	18	126	103	54	32	103
51		146	58	47	61	56	12	94
52		65	91	31	111	137	24	18
53		34	63	123	84	25	99	51
54		1	62	108	57	128	72	55
55		107	54	21	23	138	109	37
56		72	93	3	107	69	70	92
57		86	109	79	101	55	11	66
58		84	53	147	53	115	49	14
59		67	57	32	89	97	49	35
60		145	114	36	94	62	61	25
61		16	69	149	35	135	45	95
62		68	66	153	76	89	31	63
63		59	83	63	44	63	130	114
64		50	81	76	161	109	44	36
65		53	101	82	97	67	116	43
66		119	83	23	71	113	78	77
67		117	141	26	78	72	52	78
68		123	126	11	119	86	75	26
69		105	78	80	74	83	15	138
70		99	117	110	27	99	68	54
71		48	61	128	41	91	71	134
72		110	100	96	87	140	20	30
73		60	123	4	120	70	134	73
74		95	64	85	99	90	108	48
75		56	103	136	104	108	48	31
76		70	111	40	109	96	113	48
77		82	107	90	63	71	87	90
78		46	95	132	92	75	84	67
79		64	60	1	130	45	145	146
80		109	119	61	50	53	162	40
81		139	106	24	80	94	110	50
82		75	119	39	49	112	100	122
83		73	133	49	102	120	29	105
84		122	125	129	51	31	76	81
85		127	110	140	81	66	83	20
86		92	124	46	66	148	30	125
87		78	118	15	121	88	119	98
88		66	42	89	106	103	136	96
89		129	139	42	132	29	86	89
90		80	76	121	66	159	60	86
91		22	50	62	152	77	155	133
92		125	79	8	163	49	158	68
93		69	87	43	100	139	59	160
94		89	49	150	60	100	101	120
95		102	90	97	95	80	96	113
96		51	73	137	116	81	104	111
97		131	96	28	141	118	33	130
98		101	144	13	90	105	150	74
99		161	98	45	46	136	106	85
100		160	88	7	62	144	133	84
101		154	149	57	55	64	121	82
102		118	161	29	144	36	54	141
103		111	117	38	133	161	16	148
104		63	104	66	93	121	107	139
105		156	121	12	85	76	143	101
106		81	136	141	117	122	85	15
107		130	130	87	59	130	132	32
108		116	131	20	110	123	131	72
109		121	99	134	147	102	58	42
110		93	71	116	136	111	28	152
111		43	40	162	149	129	41	144
112		104	112	156	125	47	55	117
113		77	86	74	86	101	146	147
114		98	112	70	151	145	26	107
115		113	138	22	79	48	160	159
116		91	74	103	131	68	139	124
117		103	84	138	108	28	115	154
118		133	72	112	75	110	90	145
119		94	142	60	69	146	111	116
120		106	97	25	126	153	103	136
121		114	52	94	148	59	127	155
122		136	120	88	122	158	64	62
123		88	150	92	129	134	123	38
124		155	140	30	82	127	154	69
125		97	43	142	124	38	144	162
126		142	146	5	137	61	122	150
127		148	108	102	118	124	67	100
128		128	102	59	158	141	88	99
129		54	24	139	157	126	125	151
130		71	160	125	150	107	92	74
131		90	157	83	68	117	148	118
132		96	132	122	123	156	94	60
133		79	153	154	38	160	128	71
134		100	145	105	159	41	112	123
135		158	68	75	154	116	118	97
136		120	128	101	88	157	51	143
137		115	105	159	77	82	157	93
138		85	70	161	162	84	79	149
139		132	92	144	140	119	53	115
140		144	137	68	124	74	120	137
141		57	151	163	73	152	91	121
142		134	80	114	105	95	151	132
143		87	143	117	127	162	66	109
144		152	129	151	83	114	129	161
145		153	89	86	138	151	138	65
146		147	127	106	65	133	93	153
147		151	158	81	96	58	152	128
148		126	116	120	156	92	95	129
149		138	162	91	155	106	63	127
150		112	36	143	113	147	141	158
151		58	159	148	146	142	89	108
152		149	154	118	91	85	156	104
153		137	94	130	98	93	161	157
154		157	147	111	160	52	163	102
155		140	152	131	142	104	147	88
156		163	148	119	153	44	117	163
157		143	124	155	139	143	57	142
158		141	56	95	143	163	158	161
159		124	135	127	145	131	126	140
160		108	155	157	128	125	137	119
161		162	156	158	115	87	153	135
162		150	163	145	112	154	97	156
163		159	115	152	135	155	140	131

2016 top 10 overall rank (version 1.1)

2016 rank	Country
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10

2014 top 10 overall rank (version 1.0)

2014 rank	Country
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10

Description

The Good Country Index is a composite statistic of 35 data points mostly generated by the United Nations. These data points are combined into a common measure which gives an overall ranking, and a ranking in seven categories:

• Science and Technology
• Culture
• International Peace and Security
• World Order
• Planet and Climate
• Prosperity and Equality
• Health and Well-being

The concept, and the index itself, were developed by Simon Anholt. The Index was built by Dr. Robert Govers with support from several other organisations.^[6]

The top three countries in the 2014 list were Ireland, Finland and Switzerland.^[7] Nine of the top 10 countries in overall rankings are in Western Europe, while Canada tops overall rankings in North America.^[8] The last three countries on the list are Iraq, Libya, and Afghanistan.

Methodology

Testing and method

The Index attempts to measure the global impacts of national policies and behaviors: what the country contributes to the global commons, and what they take away. The Index utilizes 35 data points, five for each of seven categories. These data points are produced by the United Nations and by other international agencies, with a few by NGOs and other organisations.

Countries receive scores on each indicator as a fractional rank (0=top rank, 1=lowest) relative to all countries for which data are available. The category rankings are based on mean fractional ranks of the five indicators per category (subject to maximum two missing values per category). The overall rank is based on the average of the category ranks. This yields a common measure which gives an overall ranking, a ranking in each of the seven categories, and a balance-sheet for each country that shows at a glance how much it contributes to the world and how much it takes away.^[9]

Categories and indicators

Science, Technology & Knowledge

• Number of foreign students studying in the country relative to GDP
• Exports of periodicals, scientific journals and newspapers relative to GDP
• Number of articles published in international journals (2009 latest data) relative to GDP
• Number of Nobel prize winners relative to GDP
• Number of International Patent Cooperation Treaty applications relative to GDP

Culture

• Exports of creative goods (UNCTAD's Creative Economy Report categorisation) relative to GDP
• Exports of creative services (UNCTAD's Creative Economy Report categorisation) relative to GDP
• UNESCO dues in arrears as percentage of contribution (negative indicator)
• Number of countries and territories that citizens can enter without a visa
• Freedom of the press (based on mean score for Reporters without Borders and Freedom House index as a negative indicator)

International Peace and Security

• Number of peacekeeping troops sent overseas relative to GDP
• Dues in arrears to financial contribution to UN peacekeeping missions as percentage of contribution (negative indicator)
• Attributed number of casualties of international organised violence relative to GDP (negative indicator)
• Exports of weapons and ammunition relative to GDP (negative indicator)
• Global Cyber Security Index score (according to International Telecommunication Union)

World Order

• Percentage of population that gives to charity as proxy for cosmopolitan attitude
• Number of refugees hosted relative to GDP
• Number of refugees overseas relative to GDP (negative indicator)
• Population growth rate (negative indicator)
• Number of treaties signed as proxy for diplomatic action and peaceful conflict resolution

Planet and Climate

• National Footprint Accounts Biocapacity reserve (2009)
• Exports of hazardous waste relative to GDP (only 2008 and 2011 data available, so 2011 data used as negative indicator)
• Organic water pollutant (BOD) emissions relative to GDP (2007 latest data as negative indicator)
• CO₂ emissions relative to GDP (negative indicator)
• Methane + nitrous oxide + other greenhouse gas (HFC, PFC and SF6) emissions relative to GDP (negative indicator)

Prosperity and Equality

• Trading across borders (open trading performance compared to best practice; i.e. IFC distance to frontier score)
• Number of aid workers and volunteers sent overseas relative to GDP
• Fairtrade market size relative to GDP
• Foreign Direct Investment outflow relative to GDP
• Development cooperation contributions (aid) relative to GDP

Health and Wellbeing

• Amount of wheat tonnes equivalent food aid shipments relative to GDP
• Exports of pharmaceuticals relative to GDP
• Voluntary excess contributions to World Health Organization relative to GDP
• Humanitarian aid contributions relative to GDP
• International Health Regulations Compliance

Criticism

The Economist's Daily Chart questions the validity of some of its results. It notes that scaling countries on a GDP basis skews it in favor of poorer countries, and that the interpretation of certain parameters is flawed, but also calls the index "a worthwhile pursuit by imagining how countries might compete when they aim to serve others."^[10]

See also

• Globalization
• Sustainable development
• World Happiness Report

External links

• Good Country Index Overall rankings
• Data sources for Good Country Index
• Web site: U.S. Trails Belgium in Ranking of Global Good. Seriously? . The Fiscal Times . 30 June 2014 . 3 July 2014 . Grgurich, John.
• Web site: Life More: Countries International Politics Environment These 30 Countries Contribute The Most Good To The World . Business Insider. 1 July 2014 . 3 July 2014 . Macias, Amanda Marie and Skye Gould.
• Web site: Simon Anholt: Which country does the most good for the world? . TEDSalon Berlin . June 2014 . 3 July 2014 . Anholt, Simon.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Anholt. Simon. Govers. Robert. About the Index. The Good Country Index. 1 July 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20160307005000/http://goodcountry.org/faq. 2016-03-07. dead.
2. Web site: Results - the Good Country Index . 2018-11-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190217205351/https://www.goodcountryindex.org/results . 2019-02-17 . dead .
3. Web site: The Good Country Index - Results. 2022. Goodcountryindex.org. 1 July 2019.
4. Web site: The Good Country Index - Results. 2019. Goodcountryindex.org. 25 January 2023.
5. Web site: The Good Country Index - Results . 2019 . Goodcountryindex.org . 23 January 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190217205351/https://www.goodcountryindex.org/results . 17 February 2019 . dead .
6. Web site: Anholt. Simon. Govers. Robert. Acknowledgements. The Good Country Index. 1 July 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20160310124911/http://www.goodcountry.org/acknowledgements. 2016-03-10. dead.
7. Web site: Anholt. Simon. Govers. Robert. Overall Rankings. The Good Country Index. 5 November 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20190217205351/https://www.goodcountryindex.org/results. 17 February 2019. dead. (version 1.0)
8. News: Gander. Kashmira. Ireland is officially the 'best country in the world', says study. 1 July 2014. The Independent. 24 June 2014.
9. Web site: Anholt. Simon. Govers. Robert. FAQ. The Good Country Index. 3 July 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20160307005000/http://goodcountry.org/faq. 2016-03-07. dead.
10. Web site: The goodness of nations . The Economist . 24 June 2014 . 4 January 2016 . L.P., R.L.W. AND K.N.C..