Switzerland Selected as the World's 'Best Country'... South Korea Ranks 20th

US News & World Report Survey Results: Switzerland Ranks First for 4 Consecutive Years

Canada and Japan Take 2nd and 3rd Places Respectively

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jaehee] Switzerland has been selected as the 'Best Country' among 73 countries worldwide, CNN reported on the 15th (local time).

The US ranking specialist media 'US News & World Report' conducted a survey titled '2020 Best Countries' targeting over 20,000 people worldwide. As a result, Switzerland ranked first among 73 countries for the fourth consecutive year.

Following Switzerland, Canada and Japan took 2nd and 3rd places respectively. South Korea rose two places from last year to rank 20th.

Started in 2016, this survey is based on an evaluation model created by the research team at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. It assesses perceptions of the surveyed countries across 9 categories and 65 detailed items, including quality of life, national power, business openness, economic development potential, cultural heritage, entrepreneurship, cultural influence, citizenship, and adventure tourism. Scores are given based on responses from over 20,000 people and then aggregated to determine the rankings.

In the overall ranking, Switzerland secured first place for the fourth consecutive year. Canada, which was 3rd last year, moved up to 2nd place, while Japan, previously 2nd, dropped to 3rd, swapping their positions.

Following them were Germany, Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Norway, all within the top 10.

France ranked 12th, China 15th, and Singapore 16th. South Korea was placed 20th.

South Korea received high scores in the 'Entrepreneurship' and 'National Power' categories, ranking 8th and 9th respectively. However, it ranked 31st in 'Business-Friendly Environment,' which evaluates bureaucracy, manufacturing costs, corruption, and tax benefits, and 55th in 'Adventure Tourism,' which measures tourism attractiveness. The 'Quality of Life' category ranked 23rd.

The United States, ranked 1st in national power, saw overall declines in other categories, resulting in an overall 7th place. Notably, among various detailed items, 'Trust' received a record low score of 16 out of 100.

Additionally, nearly half of the respondents answered that the global situation has worsened compared to last year. The proportion of respondents who felt that income inequality has deepened and nationalism has spread also increased compared to the previous year. The lowest rankings, from 69th to 73rd, were Tunisia, Belarus, Oman, Serbia, and Lebanon, respectively.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.