Explore the Best 25 Countries
These countries, which range from Austria to South Korea, performed the best overall in the 2016 Best Countries rankings.
The rankings, formed in partnership with marketing firm BAV Consulting and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, aim to gauge global perceptions of the world’s biggest economies.
No. 25: Israel
Israel, home to some of the world’s holiest sites, ranks No. 25 overall. The country ranks No. 8 in Power and No. 24 in Citizenship.
No. 24: Russia
Russia, the world’s largest country by land mass, ranks No. 24 overall. The nation ranks No. 2 in Power, behind the United States, and No. 20 in Entrepreneurship.
No. 23: Portugal
Portugal, the westernmost nation of continental Europe, ranks No. 23 overall. The country ranks No. 9 in Heritage and No. 25 in Cultural Influence.
No. 22: India
India, the world’s largest democracy, ranks No. 22 overall. The country is No. 1 in Movers and No. 6 in Heritage.
No. 21: Thailand
Thailand, the only Southeast Asian nation untouched by European colonization, ranks No. 21 overall. The country is No. 4 in Adventure and No. 10 in Open for Business.
No. 20: Brazil
Brazil, one of the world’s top tourist destinations, ranks No. 20 overall. The country is No. 1 in Adventure and No. 7 in Cultural Influence.
No. 19: South Korea
South Korea, which has a high-tech, service-based economy, ranks No. 19 overall. The country ranks No. 10 in Power and No. 12 in Entrepreneurship.
No. 18: Ireland
Ireland, nicknamed the Emerald Isle for its well-watered grasslands, ranks No. 18 overall. The country ranks No. 13 in Adventure and No. 11 in Open for Business.
No. 17: China
China, the world’s most populous nation, ranks No. 17 overall. The country ranks No. 3 in Power and No. 3 in Movers.
No. 16: Spain
Spain, which has 17 autonomous regions, ranks No. 16 overall. The country is No. 2 in Heritage and No. 3 in Adventure.
No. 15: Singapore
Singapore, home to one of the world’s busiest ports, ranks No. 15 overall. The nation is No. 2 in Movers and No. 8 in Open for Business.
No. 14: Luxembourg
Luxembourg, the second-wealthiest country after Qatar, ranks No. 14 overall. The nation ranks No. 1 in Open for Business and No. 10 in Quality of Life.
No. 13: Italy
Italy, which has the third-largest economy in the Eurozone, ranks No. 13 overall. The country ranks No. 1 in Heritage and No. 2 in Cultural Influence.
No. 12: Austria
Austria, which boasts one of the highest standards of living among the economies of the world, ranks No. 12 overall. The country ranks No. 9 in Quality of Life and No. 9 in Citizenship.
No. 11: New Zealand
New Zealand, which gained independence from Britain in 1907, ranks No. 11 overall. The country ranks No. 5 in Adventure and No. 6 in Open for Business.
No. 10: Denmark
Denmark, a constitutional monarchy, ranks No. 10 overall. The country ranks No. 3 in Citizenship and No. 3 in Quality of Life.
No. 9: Netherlands
The Netherlands, one of the world’s leading exporters of agriculture, ranks No. 9 overall. The country ranks No. 4 in Citizenship and No. 5 in Quality of Life.
No. 8: France
France, one of the world’s oldest countries, ranks No. 8 overall. The country ranks No. 1 in Cultural Influence and No. 4 in Heritage.
No. 7: Japan
Japan, a country of roughly 126 million people, ranks No. 7 overall. The country ranks No. 5 in Movers and No. 6 in Cultural Influence.
No. 6: Australia
Australia, a wealthy nation with a market-based economy, ranks No. 6 overall. The country ranks No. 5 in Citizenship and No. 4 in Quality of Life.
No. 5: Sweden
Sweden, a capitalistic country with a large percent of spending going toward public service, ranks No. 5 overall. The country is No. 1 in Citizenship and No. 2 in Quality of Life.
No. 4: United States
The United States, the world’s largest economy, ranks No. 4 overall. The country ranks No. 1 in Power and No. 3 in Cultural Influence.
No. 3: United Kingdom
The United Kingdom, a former great colonial power, ranks No. 3 overall. The country ranks No. 5 in Cultural Influence and No. 5 in Power.
No. 2: Canada
Canada, the second-largest country in the world after Russia, ranks No. 2 overall. The country ranks No. 1 in Quality of Life and No. 2 in Citizenship.
No. 1: Germany
Germany, the most populous nation in the European Union, ranks No. 1 overall. The country is No. 1 in Entrepreneurship and No. 4 in Power.
Learn More About Best Countries
Don’t see your country here? See the full list of the 2016 Best Countries and explore how nations did in areas like Power, Citizenship and Quality of Life.
More from U.S. News
Visit the Best Countries homepage
Find Out Where the World Ranks the U.S.
U.S. News Ranks Germany No. 1 Country
The 25 Best Countries in the World originally appeared on usnews.com
