TORONTO – The news out of Switzerland is that Canada has been ranked No. 2 in a new ranking of the best countries in the world.
Released at the World Economic Forum, the survey rated 60 countries across 24 categories.
Germany was first, Canada second, the United Kingdom third, the United States fourth and Sweden fifth.
The survey was prepared by U.S. News and World Report, the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of business and global brand consultants BAV Consulting
Canada, the survey said, welcomes immigrants and celebrates diversity, draws some of its national identity from its expansive wilderness, has produced a long list of accomplished writers and artists, and is a high-tech industrial society with a high standard of living.
“While the service sector is Canada’s biggest economic driver, the country is a significant exporter of energy, food and minerals,” it said. “Canada ranks third in the world in proven oil reserves and is the world’s fifth largest oil producer.”
Canadian challenges, it said, are “the concerns of indigenous people” and the perennial matter of relations between Quebec and the rest of the country.
“While constitutional guarantees allow the province wide-ranging cultural and linguistic autonomy, movements for complete independence come in waves.”
Mortimer B. Zuckerman, chair and editor-in-chief of U.S. News and World Report, said in a statement that, just as the magazine has done for 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.”
