'17 Steps Jump'... South Korea Ranks 20th in Global Well-being, Higher Than the United States

Ranking Announced by UK Economist
Analysis of 52 Social Development Indicators

South Korea ranked 20th out of 170 countries worldwide in well-being. It was the second highest in Asia and ranked higher than some major developed countries such as the United States.

The British current affairs weekly The Economist announced on the 24th (local time) the "National Well-being Rankings" based on data compiled by the U.S. nonprofit organization Social Progress Imperative.

This ranking is based on the 2020 "Social Progress Index," evaluating 52 items. The items cover various welfare-related fields including basic human needs (food, water), foundations for long-term development (education and health), and opportunities (basic rights and freedoms). It aims to look closely not only at a country's economic development level but also at the quality of life of its citizens.

According to the analysis, South Korea ranked 20th among 170 countries. It was the second highest in Asia after Japan (16th). In 1990, South Korea's well-being ranking was 37th, rising 17 places over 30 years.

The top spot in the well-being ranking was held by Switzerland, a landlocked European country. Norway, Denmark, Iceland, and Germany followed in 2nd to 5th places respectively. Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Canada, and Austria ranked 6th to 10th.

Well-being Map of 170 Countries
[Image Source=Social Development Command Homepage]

On the other hand, the United States, the world's largest economy by Gross Domestic Product (GDP), ranked 31st in well-being, behind South Korea. China, the G2 country, ranked only 107th. Notably, the U.S. dropped 23 places compared to the 1990 survey.

Meanwhile, South Sudan ranked lowest in the well-being rankings, with most Sub-Saharan African countries occupying the lower ranks.

The Economist commented, "There is still a correlation between economic wealth and well-being," adding, "Generally, wealthier countries tend to have higher quality of life for their citizens, while poorer countries face the worst conditions."

However, it added, "Even countries that have made progress in some areas can decline in others," noting, "For example, a country may have advanced in basic needs but not in freedom of expression."

Meanwhile, North Korea ranked 149th in this survey, falling 37 places compared to 1990. The country with the largest drop in well-being ranking over 30 years was Venezuela, which plummeted 59 places to 106th. Conversely, the country with the greatest improvement was the Maldives, rising 39 places to 67th.

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