The Legatum Institute, a think tank based in London, on Mondayreleased its annual global Prosperity Index, a huge survey that ranks what it calls the most prosperous countries in the world.
The amount of money a country has is one factor of prosperity, but the Legatum Institute considered more than that in its ranking.
The organisation compared 89 variables to come up with its list. These variables include traditional indicators like per-capita gross domestic product and the number of people in full-time work, but also more interesting figures such as the number of secure internet servers a country has and how well rested people feel on a day-to-day basis.
The variables are then split into eight subindexes: economy, entrepreneurship and opportunity, governance, education, health, safety and security, personal freedom, and social capital. The index looked at the 142 countries in the world that have the most available data.
3. Denmark — Danes can enjoy great governance, top-level education, and a high social-capital score. If not for its relatively poor health score (16th), the country might top the whole Index. It climbed one place this year.
2. Switzerland — Switzerland has been second in the Prosperity Index for three consecutive years. The Alpine nation ranks top of the governance subindex and has the second-highest-rated economy.
1. Norway — The Scandinavian country tops the Prosperity Index once again in 2015. It has been first in each of the past seven years. Norway is the only country ranked in the top 10 of every subindex.