International prosperity is measured by many different factors, and a strong economy doesn’t necessarily equal a prosperous nation.
According to the Legatum Prosperity Index, the United States‘ prosperity has been stagnant for the past decade.
The Index, now in its 10th year, rates the United States as the 17th most prosperous country in the world, down from No. 11 in 2015 and No. 10 in 2014.
Out of 149 countries, New Zealand, Norway and Finland rank at the top of the overall list.
The Legatum Prosperity Index — which uses data drawn from sources such as the World Bank, the International Labor Organization and the World Health Organization — measures nine factors when calculating a nation’s prosperity: economic quality, business environment, governance, education, health, safety and security, personal freedom, social capital and the natural environment.
These nine factors have not improved in the U.S., according to the report. Despite the country’s rising wealth, the Index found America’s security, health outcomes and availability of opportunities to be in decline.
[READ: What country is No. 1? Not the U.S.]
Notably, the United States earned its lowest scores for safety and security, ranking 52nd.
“The Prosperity Index shows that America is in relative decline and, while the picture is not too worrying yet, Trump’s anti-trade, anti-immigration, and anti-government plans to reverse that decline will make things worse,” the report reads. “It is, in fact, Americans’ experience of relative decline that in part explains Trump’s popularity.”
Support for Trump signals an embrace of populism — a quick but problematic remedy, according to the report.
Populism “poses a threat to American prosperity, with its promises of protectionism, severely restricted immigration and lower levels of personal freedom,” according to a press release for the report.
Despite America’s struggles, the report found global prosperity on the rise — a result of the world’s most populous nations, China and India, integrating into the global economy and moving millions from poverty.
“The Prosperity Index is the clearest lens with which to see the world as it is,” Baroness Stroud, CEO of the Legatum Institute, said in a press release. “Senator Robert Kennedy was right when he said: ‘GDP measures everything, except that which makes life worthwhile.’ True prosperity encompasses what makes life worthwhile. It is as much about social wellbeing as it is about economic wellbeing.”
Here’s a glance at the top 10 most prosperous nations and where they rank on the 2016 Best Countries rankings:
| Country | Prosperity rank | U.S. News Best Countries rank |
| New Zealand | 1 | 11 |
| Norway | 2 | Unranked |
| Finland | 3 | Unranked |
| Switzerland | 4 | Unranked |
| Canada | 5 | 2 |
| Australia | 6 | 6 |
| Netherlands | 7 | 9 |
| Sweden | 8 | 5 |
| Denmark | 9 | 10 |
| United Kingdom | 10 | 3 |
More from U.S. News
The 10 Safest Countries, Ranked by Perception
Canada is the Freest Nation in the World, Legatum Study Says
What Country is No. 1? Not the U.S.
Legatum Prosperity Index Indicates American Prosperity Has Been Stagnant for the Past Decade originally appeared on usnews.com
