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There's no denying that Australia has got it all. Beautiful beaches, thriving cities filled with culture, amazing natural wonders, incredible bushland to explore and so, so much more.
And as true blue Aussies, we know there's no use in feigning humility – we're loud and proud about it. So it's nice when we get confirmation that the rest of the world also agrees that Down Under is as good as it gets. And now we have another excuse to brag: Australia has ranked in the top five on a list of the best countries in the world – coming in fourth, to be precise. Not too shabby!
But what makes it official? Well, the Best Countries rankings were recently published after a comprehensive analysis of more than 70 factors for 87 countries, using information from a survey of more than 17,000 people. The list was a collaborative project between the US News and World Report, marketing company WPP and a business school from the University of Pennsylvania. Countries were ranked on categories including heritage such as food and cultural attractions, quality of life with factors such as the job market, income equality and education system, and social purpose, like the prevalence of human rights and commitment to climate goals.
Contributing to our high overall ranking, Australia ranked as the third country in the world for the agility category (based on factors like adaptability, progressiveness and responsiveness), eighth for quality of life and eighth for adventure, which comes as no surprise.
Switzerland, Canada and Sweden topped the rankings in first, second and third place respectively, and the United States came in fifth place. Yes, it does make us feel very smug to be placed above the US. Read the full ranking on US News here or check out the top ten list below.
Here is the full list of the top ten best countries in the world.
- Switzerland
- Canada
- Sweden
- Australia
- United States
- Japan
- Germany
- New Zealand
- United Kingdom
- Netherlands