US Ranks 4th in ‘Best Country’ Poll

In the inaugural “Best Countries” ranking, the United States places fourth.

The rankings, which were compiled by U.S. News & World Report, the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and global brand consultants BAV Consulting, were released Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

The best country, according to the list, is Germany, followed by Canada and Britain.

“Just as we have done with universities, hospitals and other institutions, our Best Countries portal will be a global homepage for stories and data to help citizens, business leaders and governments evaluate performance in a rapidly changing world,” Mortimer Zuckerman, chairman and editor-in-chief of U.S. News, said in a statement.

The rankings of 60 countries take into account 24 categories and were derived from a survey of more than 16,000 people. Half of those were called “informed elites” and 4,500 were business leaders.

Respondents gave their perceptions of the countries over nine categories:adventure, citizenship, cultural influence, entrepreneurship, heritage, movers, open for business, power and quality of life.

The U.S. was first in power and influence, while Germany was best for entrepreneurship. Canada won for quality of life.

You can see the entire rankings here.