Worlds Top 10 nations for citizens' wellbeing
The first Gallup-Healthways Global Well-Being Index ranks nations on five broad elements: purpose, community, social, financial and physical well-being. Here are the Top 10 nations for citizens' wellbeing.
10. CANADA
Percentage of population thriving in at least three elements: 34%
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Photo: Fireworks over Ottawa on Canada Day 2012, by Joel Bedford, Flickr.
Canada's economy is doing so well -- it's the 10th wealthiest nation in gross domestic product per capita -- that 52 percent of its population is thriving in financial well-being, its strongest of the five well-being components. It far outstrips the United States, where just 39 percent of the population is thriving financially.
Yet although it has the highest life expectancy in the Americas, Canada's physical well-being is its weakest trait. Only about a quarter of Canadians' scores qualify as thriving on that measure.
9. GUATEMALA
Percentage of population thriving in at least three elements: 34%
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Photo: The market in Chichicastenango, Guatemala, by Pedro Szekely, Flickr.
In Guatemala, a strong sense of purpose and social well-being are particular strengths: 42 and 48 percent of the population, respectively, are thriving in those areas, which places the nation at No. 7 globally for those measures. Yet only 18 percent of the population is thriving financially (compared with 25 percent globally), which drags down its overall score.
8. SWEDEN
Percentage of population thriving in at least three elements: 36%
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Photo: Halland, Sweden, by Kjell Eson, Flickr.
According to Gallup and Healthways, Sweden thrives more than Europeans overall on every one of the five elements of well-being. Financially, a stunning 72 percent of the population is thriving -- even though the unemployment rate is over 9 percent. That's close to twice the proportion of Europeans overall who are thriving financially. Its weakest elements, relatively speaking, are in the social and physical realms, but even on those measures, more than a quarter of its population is thriving.
Sweden also stands out for its sense of purpose and community: On both measures, residents are almost twice as likely to be thriving compared with the global population.
7. EL SALVADOR
Percentage of population thriving in at least three elements: 37%
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Photo: Thinkstock
A sense of purpose is very strong in El Salvador; only in Panama and Costa Rica are larger proportions of the population thriving. Social and physical well-being are also strengths. But only 18 percent of El Salvador's population is thriving financially, lower than the global proportion of about 1 in 4. Community is not a standout element.
6. URUGUAY
Percentage of population thriving in at least three elements: 37%
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Photo: A restaurant in the Historic Quarter of Colonia, Uruguay, by Boris G, Flickr.
Uruguay scores relatively well across the board, but its numbers for social well-being (54 percent of its population is thriving, the third-highest worldwide) and physical well-being (43 percent thriving, No. 4 worldwide) propel the nation into the top 10 overall. A larger proportion of its citizens are also better off financially than elsewhere in Latin America: 27 percent are thriving. And 39 percent of Uruguay residents are thriving on measures of purpose, more than double the global proportion of 18 percent.
5. BRAZIL
Percentage of population thriving in at least three elements: 39%
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Photo: Escaderia Selaron in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, by Boris G, Flickr.
Brazil's strong showing may come as a surprise, given recent social upheaval there. And indeed, only 19 percent of its population is thriving financially, while 4 in 10 are struggling and the same number is outright suffering.
Yet its social fabric is unusually strong, with more than half of the population thriving and a mere 9 percent suffering -- "implying that close ties with family and friends are prevalent throughout the population," without variation among income or other demographic groups, according to Gallup and Healthways. (As a point of comparison: Globally, more of the population is suffering socially than is thriving -- 26 percent vs. 23 percent.)
4. AUSTRIA
Percentage of population thriving in at least three elements: 39%
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Photo: Hallstatt, Austria, by -peperoni-, Flickr.
Austrians are not doing quite as well as Swedes for financial well-being, but that's only because Swedes' score is so stellar. Nearly two-thirds of Austrians are thriving financially, more than double the global proportion and nearly double even prosperous Europe's proportion. Fifty-two percent thrive in terms of community well-being, and 35 percent thrive physically. In fact, Austria outperforms Europe on every element except social well-being, where it's merely commensurate with the European proportion: 27 percent of the population is thriving socially.
3. DENMARK
Percentage of population thriving in at least three elements: 40%
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Photo: Odense, Denmark's third-largest city, by Nelson Lourenco, Flickr.
As with the other European nations in the top 10, a remarkable proportion of Danes are thriving financially -- although interestingly, Danes rank lower than Austrians or Swedes at 59 percent (compared with 64 percent for Austria and 72 percent for Sweden). That prosperity no doubt contributed to Denmark's status as the "happiest country in the world," based on 2013 Gallup World Poll data. It also has a strong sense of purpose -- 45 percent of Danes are thriving, which is almost triple the global proportion, and just 10 percent are suffering, a third of the global proportion.
"Danish society is characterized by a well-rounded view of the requirements for a 'good life,'" the report concludes, "and can, in many ways, serve as a model for other countries seeking to promote broad-based well-being for their residents."
2. COSTA RICA
Percentage of population thriving in at least three elements: 44%
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Photo: Downtown San Jose, Costa Rica, by Ray Smith, Flickr.
Gallup and Healthways attribute Costa Rica's well-being to a number of factors: "the positivity present in many Latin American countries," its decision to invest in education rather than the military, its relative safety regionally, and its attractiveness to foreign investors.
Still, its scores on financial well-being are a drag on its ranking. Just 28 percent of the population is thriving financially, scarcely higher than the global proportion (25 percent) and slightly below the regional proportion (29 percent). But fully half of Costa Ricans are thriving in terms of purpose, and more than half -- 58 percent -- are thriving socially. Both of those numbers are considerably more than double the global proportion and significantly higher than the region overall.
1. PANAMA
Percentage of population thriving in at least three elements: 61%
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Photo: Kuna women on the island of Wichub Wala, Panama, by Rita Willaert, Flickr.
Incredibly, Panama leads the world in four out of five measures of well-being, with more than half of its population thriving in the elements of purpose, social, community and physical. It's a stunning outcome for a country where only a third of the population is thriving financially, and a quarter is actually suffering. Thirty-seven percent of the population lives below the poverty line, of whom 19 percent live in extreme poverty.
Even Gallup and Healthways seem not quite to know what to make of Panama's well-being. "There are opportunities for further understanding: why residents provide responses that indicate such high levels of well-being and how much is attributable to culture versus other factors," they say. Their report also cites the "Latin American cultural predisposition that is associated with higher levels of positivity than other regions," its "relative political stability," an unemployment rate of just 4.5 percent, and investments in national development.
The first Gallup-Healthways Global Well-Being Index ranks nations on five broad elements: purpose, community, social, financial and physical well-being. Here are the Top 10 nations for citizens' wellbeing.
10. CANADA
Percentage of population thriving in at least three elements: 34%
Photo: Fireworks over Ottawa on Canada Day 2012, by Joel Bedford, Flickr.
Canada's economy is doing so well -- it's the 10th wealthiest nation in gross domestic product per capita -- that 52 percent of its population is thriving in financial well-being, its strongest of the five well-being components. It far outstrips the United States, where just 39 percent of the population is thriving financially.
Yet although it has the highest life expectancy in the Americas, Canada's physical well-being is its weakest trait. Only about a quarter of Canadians' scores qualify as thriving on that measure.
9. GUATEMALA
Percentage of population thriving in at least three elements: 34%
Photo: The market in Chichicastenango, Guatemala, by Pedro Szekely, Flickr.
In Guatemala, a strong sense of purpose and social well-being are particular strengths: 42 and 48 percent of the population, respectively, are thriving in those areas, which places the nation at No. 7 globally for those measures. Yet only 18 percent of the population is thriving financially (compared with 25 percent globally), which drags down its overall score.
8. SWEDEN
Percentage of population thriving in at least three elements: 36%
Photo: Halland, Sweden, by Kjell Eson, Flickr.
According to Gallup and Healthways, Sweden thrives more than Europeans overall on every one of the five elements of well-being. Financially, a stunning 72 percent of the population is thriving -- even though the unemployment rate is over 9 percent. That's close to twice the proportion of Europeans overall who are thriving financially. Its weakest elements, relatively speaking, are in the social and physical realms, but even on those measures, more than a quarter of its population is thriving.
Sweden also stands out for its sense of purpose and community: On both measures, residents are almost twice as likely to be thriving compared with the global population.
7. EL SALVADOR
Percentage of population thriving in at least three elements: 37%
Photo: Thinkstock
A sense of purpose is very strong in El Salvador; only in Panama and Costa Rica are larger proportions of the population thriving. Social and physical well-being are also strengths. But only 18 percent of El Salvador's population is thriving financially, lower than the global proportion of about 1 in 4. Community is not a standout element.
6. URUGUAY
Percentage of population thriving in at least three elements: 37%
Photo: A restaurant in the Historic Quarter of Colonia, Uruguay, by Boris G, Flickr.
Uruguay scores relatively well across the board, but its numbers for social well-being (54 percent of its population is thriving, the third-highest worldwide) and physical well-being (43 percent thriving, No. 4 worldwide) propel the nation into the top 10 overall. A larger proportion of its citizens are also better off financially than elsewhere in Latin America: 27 percent are thriving. And 39 percent of Uruguay residents are thriving on measures of purpose, more than double the global proportion of 18 percent.
5. BRAZIL
Percentage of population thriving in at least three elements: 39%
Photo: Escaderia Selaron in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, by Boris G, Flickr.
Brazil's strong showing may come as a surprise, given recent social upheaval there. And indeed, only 19 percent of its population is thriving financially, while 4 in 10 are struggling and the same number is outright suffering.
Yet its social fabric is unusually strong, with more than half of the population thriving and a mere 9 percent suffering -- "implying that close ties with family and friends are prevalent throughout the population," without variation among income or other demographic groups, according to Gallup and Healthways. (As a point of comparison: Globally, more of the population is suffering socially than is thriving -- 26 percent vs. 23 percent.)
4. AUSTRIA
Percentage of population thriving in at least three elements: 39%
Photo: Hallstatt, Austria, by -peperoni-, Flickr.
Austrians are not doing quite as well as Swedes for financial well-being, but that's only because Swedes' score is so stellar. Nearly two-thirds of Austrians are thriving financially, more than double the global proportion and nearly double even prosperous Europe's proportion. Fifty-two percent thrive in terms of community well-being, and 35 percent thrive physically. In fact, Austria outperforms Europe on every element except social well-being, where it's merely commensurate with the European proportion: 27 percent of the population is thriving socially.
3. DENMARK
Percentage of population thriving in at least three elements: 40%
Photo: Odense, Denmark's third-largest city, by Nelson Lourenco, Flickr.
As with the other European nations in the top 10, a remarkable proportion of Danes are thriving financially -- although interestingly, Danes rank lower than Austrians or Swedes at 59 percent (compared with 64 percent for Austria and 72 percent for Sweden). That prosperity no doubt contributed to Denmark's status as the "happiest country in the world," based on 2013 Gallup World Poll data. It also has a strong sense of purpose -- 45 percent of Danes are thriving, which is almost triple the global proportion, and just 10 percent are suffering, a third of the global proportion.
"Danish society is characterized by a well-rounded view of the requirements for a 'good life,'" the report concludes, "and can, in many ways, serve as a model for other countries seeking to promote broad-based well-being for their residents."
2. COSTA RICA
Percentage of population thriving in at least three elements: 44%
Photo: Downtown San Jose, Costa Rica, by Ray Smith, Flickr.
Gallup and Healthways attribute Costa Rica's well-being to a number of factors: "the positivity present in many Latin American countries," its decision to invest in education rather than the military, its relative safety regionally, and its attractiveness to foreign investors.
Still, its scores on financial well-being are a drag on its ranking. Just 28 percent of the population is thriving financially, scarcely higher than the global proportion (25 percent) and slightly below the regional proportion (29 percent). But fully half of Costa Ricans are thriving in terms of purpose, and more than half -- 58 percent -- are thriving socially. Both of those numbers are considerably more than double the global proportion and significantly higher than the region overall.
1. PANAMA
Percentage of population thriving in at least three elements: 61%
Photo: Kuna women on the island of Wichub Wala, Panama, by Rita Willaert, Flickr.
Incredibly, Panama leads the world in four out of five measures of well-being, with more than half of its population thriving in the elements of purpose, social, community and physical. It's a stunning outcome for a country where only a third of the population is thriving financially, and a quarter is actually suffering. Thirty-seven percent of the population lives below the poverty line, of whom 19 percent live in extreme poverty.
Even Gallup and Healthways seem not quite to know what to make of Panama's well-being. "There are opportunities for further understanding: why residents provide responses that indicate such high levels of well-being and how much is attributable to culture versus other factors," they say. Their report also cites the "Latin American cultural predisposition that is associated with higher levels of positivity than other regions," its "relative political stability," an unemployment rate of just 4.5 percent, and investments in national development.