Good Country Index

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The Good Country Index measures how much each of the 125 countries on the list contribute to the planet and to the human race through their policies and behaviours.[1]

Description

The Index is a composite statistic of 35 data points which are mostly generated by the United Nations. These data points are combined into a common measure which gives an overall ranking and a ranking in seven categories such as Science and Technology, Culture, International Peace and Security, World Order, Planet and Climate, Prosperity and Equality, Health and Wellbeing.

The concept and the index itself were developed by Simon Anholt. The Index was built by Dr Robert Govers with support from several other organisations.[2]

The three top countries in the list published in 2014 are Ireland, Finland and Switzerland.[3] Nine of the top 10 countries in overall rankings are in Western Europe.[4] The last three countries on the list ranked Iraq, Libya and Vietnam.

Methodology

The Index attempts to measure the global impacts of national policies and behaviours: what the country contributes to the global commons and what they take away. The Index utilizes 35 data points, five in each of seven categories. These data points are produced by the United Nations and other international agencies and a few by NGOs and other organisations. Countries receive scores on each indicator as a fractional rank (0=top rank, 1=lowest) relative to all countries for which data are available. The category rankings are based on the mean fractional ranks on the 5 indicators per category (subject to maximum 2 missing values per category). The overall rank is based on the average of the category ranks. This yields a common measure which gives an overall ranking, a ranking in each of the seven categories, and a balance-sheet for each country that shows at a glance how much it contributes to the world and how much it takes away.[5]

Categories and indicators

Science, Technology & Knowledge

  • Number of foreign students studying in the country relative to GDP
  • Exports of periodicals, scientific journals and newspapers relative to GDP
  • Number of articles published in international journals (2009 latest data) relative to GDP
  • Number of Nobel prize winners relative to GDP
  • Number of International Patent Cooperation Treaty applications relative to GDP

Culture

  • Exports of creative goods (UNCTAD's Creative Economy Report categorisation) relative to GDP
  • Exports of creative services (UNCTAD's Creative Economy Report categorisation) relative to GDP
  • UNESCO dues in arrears as percentage of contribution (negative indicator)
  • Number of countries and territories that citizens can enter without a visa
  • Freedom of the press (based on mean score for Reporters without Borders and Freedom House index as a negative indicator)

International Peace and Security

  • Number of peacekeeping troops sent overseas relative to GDP
  • Dues in arrears to financial contribution to UN peacekeeping missions as percentage of contribution (negative indicator)
  • Attributed number of casualties of international organised violence relative to GDP (negative indicator)
  • Exports of weapons and ammunition relative to GDP (negative indicator)
  • Global Cyber Security Index score (negative indicator)

World Order

  • Percentage of population that gives to charity as proxy for cosmopolitan attitude
  • Number of refugees hosted relative to GDP
  • Number of refugees overseas relative to GDP (negative indicator)
  • Population growth rate (negative indicator)
  • Number of treaties signed as proxy for diplomatic action and peaceful conflict resolution

Planet and Climate

  • National Footprint Accounts Biocapacity reserve (2009)
  • Exports of hazardous waste relative to GDP (only 2008 and 2011 data available, so 2011 data used as negative indicator)
  • Organic water pollutant (BOD) emissions relative to GDP (2007 latest data as negative indicator)
  • CO2 emissions relative to GDP (negative indicator)
  • Methane + nitrous oxide + other greenhouse gas (HFC, PFC and SF6) emissions relative to GDP (negative indicator)

Prosperity and Equality

  • Trading across borders (open trading performance compared to best practice; i.e. IFC distance to frontier score)
  • Number of aid workers and volunteers sent overseas relative to GDP
  • Fairtrade market size relative to GDP
  • Foreign Direct Investment outflow relative to GDP
  • Development cooperation contributions (aid) relative to GDP

Health and Wellbeing

  • Amount of wheat tonnes equivalent food aid shipments relative to GDP
  • Exports of pharmaceuticals relative to GDP
  • Voluntary excess contributions to World Health Organisation relative to GDP
  • Humanitarian aid contributions relative to GDP
  • Drug seizures (pure cocaine equivalent kilograms) relative to GDP

2014 Overall Rank

Rank Country Science and
Technology		 Culture International Peace
and Security		 World Order Planet and
Climate		 Prosperity
and Equality		 Health and
Wellbeing
1  Ireland 20 7 33 4 45 1 9
2  Finland 7 18 53 12 14 3 12
3   Switzerland 6 32 71 10 16 2 10
4  Netherlands 18 2 97 3 23 8 2
5  New Zealand 10 25 37 17 7 41 17
6  Sweden 8 14 111 8 3 4 8
7  United Kingdom 1 12 94 9 30 9 6
8  Norway 40 24 58 7 4 14 16
9  Denmark 14 9 88 5 26 35 5
10  Belgium 15 1 100 16 56 5 3
11  France 12 26 92 18 10 28 15
12  Canada 28 20 106 14 2 30 4
13  Germany 11 5 109 1 29 33 18
14  Austria 2 4 104 2 43 24 31
15  Australia 16 38 89 13 6 36 14
16  Luxembourg 55 10 101 19 12 19 13
17  Iceland 24 37 27 15 1 101 44
18  Cyprus 3 35 86 21 22 37 49
19  Spain 37 23 120 24 24 49 1
20  Italy 38 22 102 11 44 65 19
21  United States 26 41 114 28 39 53 7
22  Costa Rica 61 64 35 25 19 42 76
23  Malta 64 3 66 6 36 99 50
24  Chile 52 47 42 27 18 31 114
25  Japan 46 44 77 56 11 71 33
26  Kenya 47 84 20 48 98 16 28
27  Singapore 21 39 80 121 20 7 58
28  Slovenia 17 17 87 23 68 111 26
29  Guatemala 91 57 29 76 42 21 39
30  Greece 34 36 65 33 32 87 71
31  Colombia 57 83 43 107 15 29 29
32  Bulgaria 19 27 79 36 80 70 55
33  Panama 81 43 70 30 37 44 66
34  Estonia 31 6 107 80 66 66 21
35  Portugal 42 19 116 44 48 61 51
36  Mauritius 69 33 40 32 122 27 63
37  Israel 5 40 81 68 35 63 103
38  Ghana 59 62 12 71 72 6 115
39  Ecuador 105 79 10 39 38 90 38
40  Zambia 90 85 21 47 21 11 124
41  Uruguay 104 58 5 35 13 94 95
42  Slovakia 43 21 110 49 51 69 62
43  Czech Republic 4 8 121 34 77 100 67
44  South Africa 29 60 15 31 102 121 56
45  Jamaica 65 59 23 62 87 51 72
46  Croatia 35 30 62 73 52 85 84
47  South Korea 30 34 119 45 71 60 65
48  Namibia 74 52 30 89 34 25 120
49  Brazil 75 49 83 37 5 123 52
50  Jordan 39 78 2 101 99 81 25
51  Trinidad and Tobago 76 42 25 64 110 22 86
52  Poland 32 16 105 26 83 83 81
53  Thailand 66 67 73 22 97 80 22
54  Paraguay 120 56 8 60 31 125 27
55  Macedonia 33 55 82 41 119 20 85
56  Tunisia 58 86 31 82 59 54 68
57  Argentina 67 46 55 29 25 105 112
58  Malaysia 49 28 113 87 73 10 91
59  Uganda 71 108 41 66 9 91 69
60  Moldova 44 65 46 51 115 84 54
61  Hungary 9 13 123 59 76 78 101
62  Serbia 23 31 98 52 124 52 79
63  Tanzania 113 74 3 43 93 102 32
64  Botswana 107 66 67 54 41 12 113
65  Romania 48 29 75 53 69 114 74
66  Mexico 70 73 91 69 84 47 30
67  Morocco 68 90 76 50 85 57 40
68  Egypt 45 80 1 85 111 88 61
69  Lithuania 25 11 125 58 57 109 90
70  Bosnia and Herzegovina 22 61 63 40 106 75 109
71  Mozambique 103 81 14 75 55 26 122
72  Armenia 50 98 39 72 95 15 110
73  Albania 101 54 95 65 50 18 99
74  Kyrgyzstan 72 103 47 84 114 17 47
75  Malawi 94 113 48 38 67 67 64
76  Lesotho 114 93 4 20 46 98 116
77  Georgia 63 77 51 102 105 13 87
78  Sri Lanka 87 97 54 55 90 23 94
79  Turkey 51 50 112 111 60 97 20
80  Kazakhstan 109 105 26 105 86 48 23
81  India 56 53 44 91 107 117 37
82  Belarus 36 63 108 63 118 74 46
83  Latvia 27 15 124 88 62 89 104
84  Lebanon 53 51 115 100 64 39 88
85  El Salvador 99 75 11 109 63 106 48
86  Peru 88 87 96 81 17 62 82
87  United Arab Emirates 82 45 74 122 61 76 53
88  Bolivia 116 100 22 42 78 115 41
89  Cameroon 73 120 13 70 70 45 125
90  Senegal 78 114 32 83 91 59 60
91  Bangladesh 100 94 52 67 117 55 34
92  Saudi Arabia 86 99 85 119 79 43 11
93  Kuwait 85 70 18 108 104 72 83
94  Honduras 92 72 19 99 75 110 75
95  Russia 41 68 90 106 88 112 42
96  Democratic Republic of the Congo 83 123 49 115 47 40 92
97  Togo 84 89 6 110 112 58 93
98  Madagascar 80 71 17 113 49 116 106
99  Ukraine 13 48 117 57 120 96 105
100  Oman 110 88 24 125 58 64 89
101  Dominican Republic 108 69 99 46 89 113 35
102  Congo 121 111 60 103 8 46 117
103  Nigeria 111 110 9 79 74 104 80
104  Laos 77 118 93 98 27 118 36
105  Sudan 118 125 118 96 54 32 24
106  Pakistan 106 109 61 104 108 38 43
107  China 54 91 59 94 96 108 70
108  Rwanda 102 121 56 120 40 34 102
109  Mongolia 62 96 38 114 101 50 121
110  Qatar 112 95 50 118 81 68 78
111  Algeria 79 102 45 90 109 122 57
112  Cambodia 119 101 28 117 53 92 98
113  Syria 96 104 57 92 113 73 77
114  Philippines 115 106 64 61 82 77 107
115  Iran 93 119 72 97 103 56 73
116  Yemen 98 122 69 86 100 93 45
117  Venezuela 117 117 34 77 33 124 118
118  Benin 97 115 7 78 121 107 96
119  Indonesia 122 92 36 95 92 103 97
120  Zimbabwe 60 82 68 112 125 82 119
121  Angola 124 112 78 116 28 95 108
122  Azerbaijan 95 107 122 74 94 86 100
123  Iraq 125 116 84 124 65 120 59
124  Vietnam 89 76 103 123 123 79 111
125  Libya 123 124 16 93 116 119 123

Criticism

Many have cited the Good Country Index as flawed and not representative of the actual country.[6]

See also

Notes and references

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External links

Retrieved from "https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=Good_Country_Index&oldid=704125966"