ZURICH, Jan 24 : A new ranking, that evaluated countries on everything from economic influence, power, citizenship and quality of life, has declared Switzerland the world's best country for 2018.
It's the second time the country has topped US News and World Report's Best Countries report, which looked at 80 countries for this year's ranking.
After Switzerland, Canada, Germany, UK and Japan round out the top five spots -- all countries with progressive social and environmental policies, analysts note.
Nordic countries like Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway are also heavily represented on the list and top other subcategories thanks to their famously progressive social policies: Denmark, for instance, is named the best country for women, and for raising children, while Norway ranks the top country for citizenship. The category of citizenship considers a country's record on human rights, gender equality and religious freedom.
"For the countries that rose to the top of this year's rankings, it is once again clear that military vigor and economic power are no longer the key determinants to a country's brand success," said David Sable, Y&R Global CEO in a statement. —AFP
