10 Top Countries for Social Progress According to 2015 Index

Miratel is a proudly Canadian call centre and we like to celebrate our nation by illuminating its place on the world’s stage. Seeing how our great nation compares on a global scale is something that I’ve delved in posts like the best country to live, the smartest countries, the happiest countries, the  most peaceful countries, the friendliest countries, the most charitable countries, the best countries for quality of life, the best countries for business, the top countries for life expectancy, the best countries for working women, the best country for child well-being, the best countries for higher education, the most popular countries, the least corrupt countries, the countries with the best reputation, the best countries for ease of doing business, the best countries for starting a business, the best country for business, the best country for customer satisfaction, the best countries with the most competitive economies, the best countries for entrepreneurship, the most sustainable countries, the best countries to grow old, the best country brand, the best countries for business, the most sustainable countries, the most charitable countries, the most prosperous countries, the countries with the highest minimum wage, the safest countries, the best countries with the highest average salary, the best countries for social progress, the best countries for working women, the best countries for mothers, the best countries for average life expectancy at birth, the most popular countries, the most gay friendly countries in the world, the most peaceful countries, the best countries for giving back, the best countries for global professionals on the move, the most tax competitive countries, the most innovative countries, the happiest countries, the best country to grow old, the most generous country, the best countries for business, the best countries for women on corporate boards in 2015, the best countries to retire, the best countries to live 2015 and the happiest countries.

Click image to go to Social Progress Index 2015

Today, I’ll be adding the 10 top countries for social progress from the Social Progress Index 2015 released by the Social Progress Imperative, an organization with a vision of the world where “social progress sits alongside economic prosperity as a measure of a sustainable society.” I have written about this Index in 2013 and 2014 but the 2015 edition builds on the feedback from 2014 and now includes 52 indicators and 133 countries. “The Social Progress Index offers a rich framework for measuring the multiple dimensions of social progress, benchmarking success, and catalyzing greater human wellbeing.”

They define social progress as “the capacity of a society to meet the basic human needs of its citizens, establish the building blocks that allow citizens and communities to enhance and sustain the quality of their lives, and create the conditions for all individuals to reach their full potential.” Three questions led to the dimensions that form the basis of the Index: 1) basic human needs (Does a country provide for its people’s most essential needs?); 2) foundations of wellbeing (Are the building blocks in place for individuals and communities to enhance and sustain wellbeing?); and 3) opportunity (Is there opportunity for all individuals to reach their full potential?). Those dimensions were then broken down into 12 categories (4 each) and finally into 52 indicators to give the most complete picture of the countries which represent 94% of the world’s population. Based on this methodology, the top 10 countries for social progress are:

1. Norway – Score: 88.36. GDP per capita: $62, 448
2. Sweden – Score: 88.06. GDP per capita: $43,741
3. Switzerland – Score: 87.97. GDP per capita: $54,697
4. Iceland – Score: 87.62. GDP per capita: $41,250
5. New Zealand – Score: 87.08. GDP per capita: $32,808
6. Canada – Score: 86.89. GDP per capita: $41,894
7. Finland – Score: 86.75. GDP per capita: $38,846
8. Denmark – Score: 86.63. GDP per capita: $41,991
9. Netherlands – Score: 86.50. GDP per capita: $44,945
10. Australia – core: 86.42. GDP per capita: $42,831

With its top 10 ranking, Canada represents the only North American country, the highest-ranking member of the G7 and the only country with a population greater than 25 million.

Surprisingly, GDP doesn’t necessarily dictate levels of social progress. The valuable information contained in Social Progress Index 2015 details exactly where countries can improve when it comes to the social freedoms of its citizens. Definitely worth a read.

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Miratel Solutions is a Toronto call centre, eBusiness, and letter shop mail house specializing in professional fundraising services including inbound telephone fundraising, outbound telephone fundraising, online fundraising, lottery fundraising services, donation processing and receipting and direct mail fundraising services. We are committed to our CSR business values and advancing the missions of the nonprofits we proudly serve.