INDEX INSIGHTS
Here we cover the overall findings from the Index for both Waves of the Index, including change over time.
Key findings from the Index:
- In 2022, Iceland replaced Switzerland as the top ranked country in 2022.
- Botswana has climbed the most on our Index, moving up 24 spots from rank 109 in 2019 to rank 85 in 2022.
- In the top 20 ranked countries the average movement up or down the Index between 2019 and 2022 was 2.1 places compared with 4.9 places in the bottom 20 ranked countries. On average, countries moved 4.6 places.
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Change over time
What’s happened since 2019?
We are living 8 months less
We spend 7 fewer months in good health
We are less environmentally sustainable
Inequalities in health have widened
There is a 27-year gap in life span (life expectancy) between the top and bottom 10 countries: one year more than in 2019.
Happiness levels have remained unchanged
We work the same number of years and we’re richer
But income inequalities between the top and bottom 25% of countries have widened by 6.5% or $1,000 per person
In 2019, average per capita income for the top 25% countries was $17,560. This increased to $18,540 in 2022. Over the same time period, per capita income for the bottom 25 countries decreased from $1,560 to $1,490.
Which countries are the biggest movers?
Botswana has climbed the most on our Index
Moving up 24 spots from rank 109 to rank 85
Nepal has seen the biggest improvement in life span
Improving 0.9 years
Bangladesh has seen the biggest improvement in health span
Improving 1.8 years
Serbia has seen the biggest improvement in work span
Improving by 2.2 years
Ireland has seen the biggest improvement in income
Improving $22K
India has seen the biggest improvement in happiness
Improving 1.4 points
Afghanistan has seen the biggest improvement in environmental performance
Improving 18.1 points
Political and economic blocs (Wave 2: 2022)
Wave 2: 2022
All across the Index, countries are ageing
- All across the Index, countries are ageing, with the biggest increases in the number of older adults projected for countries at the top of the Index.
- The spike in countries ranked 21-30 include super ageing countries like Japan and Italy.
- Those ranked 61-70 include countries like Vietnam, which has witnessed a rapid increase in population and is one of the fastest ageing countries.
Source
World Population Prospects – Population Division – United Nations
Wave 1: 2019 data
Based on the original 121 countries
Percentage of the global population by country grouping
Cumulative percentage of global population by country grouping and rank
- With an average population of only 8.4 million, the top 10 countries on the Index account for only 1.1% of the global population, while the top 50 account for just over a quarter.
- This demonstrates significant inequality across the countries in the Index, whereby a relatively small proportion of the global population is best adapted to longer, healthier lives.
- This is particularly evident in the second graph showing the cumulative percentage of the global population by country grouping.
- Countries ranked from 41-50 (which include China) have the largest average populations with 186.7 million. Countries ranked from 101-110 (which include India) have the second largest average populations with 168.4 million.