Top 10 Most Prosperous Countries in the World by 2015 Prosperity Index

The Legatum Institute, a London-based think tank and educational charity focused on promoting prosperity, has recently released its Annual Global Prosperity Index, reveals the most prosperous and least countries in the world.

The Prosperity Index offers a unique insight into how prosperity is forming and changing across the world. It is the only global measurement of prosperity based on both income and well-being, as they believe that prosperity is more than just the accumulation of material wealth, it is also the joy of everyday life and the prospect of an even better life in the future.

The Prosperity Index ranks 142 countries according to their performance according eight equally-weighted sub-indexes i.e. economy, entrepreneurship & opportunity, governance, education, health, safety & security, personal freedom and share capital.

Top 10 Most Prosperous Countries in the World

1. NorwayNorway ranks 1st, having kept its place since last year. Its best performance is in the Social Capital sub-index, where it ranks 2nd in 2015; while its lowest rank is in the Safety & Security sub-index, where it ranks 8th in 2015.

2. SwitzerlandSwitzerland ranks 2nd, having kept its place since last year. Its best performance is in the Governance sub-index, where it ranks 1st in 2015; while its lowest rank is in the Education sub-index, where it ranks 18th in 2015.

3. Denmark

Denmark ranks 3rd, having risen by one place since last year. Its best performance is in the Entrepreneurship & Opportunity sub-index, where it ranks 2nd in 2015; while its lowest rank is in the Health sub-index, where it ranks 16th in 2015.

4. New ZealandNew Zealand ranks 4th, having fallen by one place since last year. Its best performance is in the Social Capital sub-index, where it ranks 1st in 2015; while its lowest rank is in the Health sub-index, where it ranks 9th in 2015.

5. SwedenSweden ranks 5th, having risen by one place since 2014. Its best performance is in the Entrepreneurship & Opportunity sub-index, where it ranks 1st in 2015; while its lowest rank is in the Education sub-index, where it ranks 17th in 2015.

6. CanadaCanada ranks 6th, having fallen by one place since last year. Its best performance is in the Personal Freedom sub-index, where it ranks 1st in 2015; while its lowest rank is in the Entrepreneurship & Opportunity sub-index, where it ranks 15th in 2015.

7. AustraliaAustralia ranks 7th, having kept its place since last year. Its best performance is in the Education sub-index, where it ranks 1st in 2015; while its lowest rank is in the Health sub-index, where it ranks 15th in 2015.

8. NetherlandsThe Netherlands rank 8th, having risen by one place since last year. Its best performance is in the Education sub-index, where it ranks 4th in 2015; while its lowest rank is in the Safety & Security sub-index, where it ranks 19th in 2015.

9. FinlandFinland ranks 9th, having fallen by one place since last year. Its best performance is in the Safety & Security sub-index, where it ranks 3rd in 2015; while its lowest rank is in the Economy sub-index, where it ranks 33rd in 2015.

10. IrelandIreland ranks 10th, having risen by two places since last year. Its best performance is in the Safety & Security sub-index, where it ranks 4th in 2015; while its lowest rank is in the Economy sub-index, where it ranks 18th in 2015.