“Consistent Switzerland, Steady as Ever, Is Once Again the World's Best Country”: This is the headline from the U.S News & World Report published in Washington each month justifying the country’s ranking of first place in the World's Best Country 2023. This is the sixth time Switzerland has achieved the highest marks in this ranking.
The assessments are based on a global survey of 17,000 people. The respondents attributed dozens of different features to the 87 countries within ten subcategories, including Power, Cultural Influence, Heritage, and Social Purpose. The scores collected from these associations created an overall list of the best countries in the world. Canada came in second place, followed by Sweden and the USA.
In the current rankings, Switzerland is number one for economic stability, safety, and lowest corruption. Jacques Pitteloud, the Swiss ambassador to the U.S., lists “economic stability, political consensus, and a historic role playing negotiator and peacemaker for other nations” as success factors. However, he added that it all starts with the high quality of education: “We are constantly leading the pack in terms of innovation.”
The publication also mentions as positives the climate law, which commits the country to net-zero emissions by 2050, and low inflation. Regarding this, it quotes Alexandre Edelmann, head of Presence Switzerland, which promotes awareness of Switzerland abroad: “Despite difficult years during the pandemic and the current geopolitical upheavals, the Swiss economy has performed remarkably well and continues to grow.”
