Finland is the 'Good-est' country in the world

Finland rose from 4th place to top this year in the 4th annual edition of the Good Country Index, a measure of what each country on Earth contributes to the common good of humanity. It’s the first time that Finland has topped the rankings, although the country has found itself in the top 10 every year since the index was launched in 2015.

This year, it measured the performance and levels of national commitment of 153 countries to global issues, using a number of metrics such as prosperity, scientific achievement, and contributions to global stability. The results show that Finland ranked first based on its overall positive impact on the planet and contribution to humanity more than any other country.

The countries in a close competition were Ireland, Sweden, Germany, and Denmark. Finland, relative to its size, took the top spot in several categories such as press freedom, foreign direct investment (FDI) abroad, and cybersecurity.

The Index, created by Simon Anholt, aims to start a global debate about what countries are really for with the It is hope that national governments will take notice of how their own country delivers a net benefit to mankind. The 35 criteria, determined by the United Nations, are divided into contributions to seven categories: Science and Technology, Culture, International Peace and Security, World Order, Planet and Climate, Prosperity and Equality, and Health and Wellbeing.

After the countries have been analyzed, each of them will receive scores on each indicator relative to all other countries measured and corrected for the country's GDP. Finland ranks best in terms of its scientific journal exports, a number of patents, freedom of movement, press freedom, cybersecurity, refugees generated, environmental agreements compliance, open trading, FDI outflows, and food aid. The country fared best in the ‘prosperity and equality’ category, which is measured by contributions to international aid, FDI outflows, free trade policy, and the number of UN volunteers abroad.