Legatum Prosperity Index
Encyclopedia
The Legatum Prosperity Index is an annual ranking developed by the Legatum Institute
of 110 countries. The ranking is based according to a variety of factors including wealth, economic growth, personal wellbeing, and quality of life. Norway
topped the lists of the the last two reports, those of 2010 and 2011.
, GDP, World Intellectual Property Organization
, UN Human Development Report
, World Bank
, OECD, World Values Survey
. The 89 variables are grouped into 8 sub-indexes which are averaged using equal weights. The 8 sub-indexes are:
For example, Personal Freedom includes freedom of speech and religion, national tolerance for immigrants and ethnic and racial minorities. The Social Capital sub-index includes the percentage of citizens who volunteer, give to charity, help strangers, and who feel they can rely on family and friends.
Oxford Analytica
is Legatum's research partner for the Prosperity Index and contributed the methodology and analysis.
Detailed information about the 2010 Legatum Prosperity Index, the rankings and methodology are available at www.prosperity.com.
, London
. It is funded by the Legatum Group, which includes Legatum Capital, a portfolio investment fund manager; Legatum Ventures a double bottom line
investment fund, the Legatum Foundation, a philanthropic organisation; and the Legatum Center for Development And Entrepreneurship at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a collaboration with MIT that funds graduate student entrepreneurs from developing markets.
Dr. Terry Babcock-Lumish (University of Oxford
); Dr. Daniel Drezner
(Tufts University
); Dr. Peter Feaver (Duke University
); Dr. Carol Graham (Brookings Institution
); Dr. Robert Jensen (University of California, Los Angeles
); Dr. Stephen Krasner (Stanford University
); Dr. Michael Kremer
(Harvard University
); Dr. Philip Levy (American Enterprise Institute
); Dr. Edmund Malesky (University of California, San Diego
); Dr. Ann Owen (Hamilton College); Dr. Robert Putnam
(Harvard University
); Dr. Allan Stam (University of Michigan
).
One of the main authors of the 2007 report, Will Inboden, was a senior white-house official in the administration of George W. Bush
. Ryan Streeter
, a senior fellow at the institute, was the director of HUD's Center for Faith Based and Community Initiatives in the same administration.
Legatum
LEGATUM is a privately owned, international investment organisation, headquartered in Dubai, part of the United Arab Emirates. Legatum's mission is to find ways to generate and allocate the capital and ideas that help people live more prosperous lives....
of 110 countries. The ranking is based according to a variety of factors including wealth, economic growth, personal wellbeing, and quality of life. Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
topped the lists of the the last two reports, those of 2010 and 2011.
Methodology
The 2010 Legatum Prosperity Index is based on 89 different variables analysed across 110 nations around the world. Source data includes Gallup World Poll, WTO, World Development IndicatorsWorld Development Indicators
The World Development Indicators is the primary World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially-recognized international sources. It presents the most current and accurate global development data available, and includes national, regional and global estimates. This...
, GDP, World Intellectual Property Organization
World Intellectual Property Organization
The World Intellectual Property Organization is one of the 17 specialized agencies of the United Nations. WIPO was created in 1967 "to encourage creative activity, to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world"....
, UN Human Development Report
Human Development Report
The Human Development Report is an annual milestone publication by the Human Development Report Office of the United Nations Development Programme .-History:...
, World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
, OECD, World Values Survey
World Values Survey
The World Values Survey is a global research project that explores people’s values and beliefs, how they change over time and what social and political impact they have. It is carried out by a worldwide network of social scientists who, since 1981, have conducted representative national surveys in...
. The 89 variables are grouped into 8 sub-indexes which are averaged using equal weights. The 8 sub-indexes are:
- Economy
- Entrepreneurship & Opportunity
- Governance
- Education
- Health
- Safety & Security
- Personal Freedom
- Social Capital
For example, Personal Freedom includes freedom of speech and religion, national tolerance for immigrants and ethnic and racial minorities. The Social Capital sub-index includes the percentage of citizens who volunteer, give to charity, help strangers, and who feel they can rely on family and friends.
Oxford Analytica
Oxford Analytica
Oxford Analytica is an international consulting firm providing strategic analysis of world events. It was founded in 1975 by David Young, an American employee of the National Security Council during the Nixon administration and one of the four in the Watergate scandal.Clients of Oxford Analytica...
is Legatum's research partner for the Prosperity Index and contributed the methodology and analysis.
Detailed information about the 2010 Legatum Prosperity Index, the rankings and methodology are available at www.prosperity.com.
2011 Rankings
2011 Rankings
| Top 30 | |||||
1.  Norway | 6.  Canada | 11.  Republic of Ireland | 16.  Singapore | 21.  Japan | 26.  Czech Republic |
2.  Denmark | 7.  Finland | 12.  Iceland | 17.  Belgium | 22.  Slovenia | 27.  United Arab Emirates |
3.  Australia | 8.  Switzerland | 13.  United Kingdom | 18.  Early Modern France | 23.  Spain | 28.  Poland |
4.  New Zealand | 9.  Netherlands | 14.  Austria | 19.  Hong Kong | 24.  South Korea | 29.  Uruguay |
5.  Sweden | 10.  United States | 15.  Germany | 20.  Republic of China | 25.  Portugal | 30.  Italy |
| Bottom 20 | |||
91.  India | 96.  Tanzania | 101.  Zambia | 106.  Yemen |
92.  Senegal | 97.  Iran | 102.  Kenya | 107.  Pakistan |
93.  Nepal | 98.  Rwanda | 103.  Mozambique | 108.  Ethiopia |
94.  Cambodia | 99.  Cameroon | 104.  Nigeria | 109.  Zimbabwe |
95.  Bangladesh | 100.  Uganda | 105.  Sudan | 110.  Central African Republic |
2009 Rankings
| Top 30 | |||||
| 1. Finland | 6. Australia | 11. Republic of Ireland | 16. Japan | 21. Italy | 26. South Korea |
| 2. Switzerland | 7. Canada | 12. United Kingdom | 17. Early Modern France | 22. Portugal | 27.  Israel |
| 3. Sweden | 8. Netherlands | 13. Belgium | 18. Hong Kong | 23. Singapore | 28.  Hungary |
| 4. Denmark | 9. United States | 14. Germany | 19. Spain | 24. Republic of China | 29. Poland |
| 5. Norway | 10. New Zealand | 15. Austria | 20. Slovenia | 25. Czech Republic | 30.  Greece |
| Bottom 20 | |||
85.  Belarus | 90. Nepal | 95. Kenya | 100. Cameroon |
86.  Lebanon | 91. Mozambique | 96.  Algeria | 101. Central African Republic |
| 87. Bangladesh | 92.  Uzbekistan | 97. Tanzania | 101. Yemen |
88.  Egypt | 93. Cambodia | 98. Nigeria | 103. Sudan |
| 89. Zambia | 94. Iran | 99. Pakistan | 104. Zimbabwe |
2008 Rankings
| Top 30 | |||||
| 1. Australia | 6. United States | 11. Netherlands | 16. Belgium | 21. Republic of China | 26. South Korea |
| 2. Austria | 7. Switzerland | 12. Sweden | 17. Canada | 22. Spain | 27.  Chile |
| 3. Finland | 8. Hong Kong | 13. Japan | 18. United Kingdom | 23. Slovenia | 28. United Arab Emirates |
| 4. Germany | 9. Denmark | 14. Norway | 19. Israel | 24. Czech Republic | 29.  Malaysia |
| 5. Singapore | 10. New Zealand | 15. Early Modern France | 20. Republic of Ireland | 25. Italy | 30.  Kuwait |
| Bottom 20 | |||
| 85. Pakistan | 90.  Bolivia | 95. Nigeria | 100. Tanzania |
86.  Ghana | 91. Cambodia | 96. Mozambique | 101. Central African Republic |
87.  Nicaragua | 92. Senegal | 97. Kenya | 102.  Mali |
88.  Ecuador | 93. Cameroon | 98. Nepal | 103. Zambia |
| 89. Bangladesh | 94. Sudan | 99. Zimbabwe | 104. Yemen |
Legatum Institute
The Legatum Institute, the publisher of the index, is a privately-funded think-tank founded in 2007 and located in MayfairMayfair
Mayfair is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster.-History:Mayfair is named after the annual fortnight-long May Fair that took place on the site that is Shepherd Market today...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. It is funded by the Legatum Group, which includes Legatum Capital, a portfolio investment fund manager; Legatum Ventures a double bottom line
Double bottom line
Double bottom line is a business term used in socially responsible enterprise and investment.While all businesses have a conventional bottom line to measure their fiscal performance—financial profit or loss—enterprises which seek a second bottom line look to measure their performance in...
investment fund, the Legatum Foundation, a philanthropic organisation; and the Legatum Center for Development And Entrepreneurship at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a collaboration with MIT that funds graduate student entrepreneurs from developing markets.
Personnel
The Prosperity Index is reviewed and critiqued (although not necessarily endorsed in toto) by an advisory panel of academics and scholars representing a range of disciplines and includes:Dr. Terry Babcock-Lumish (University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
); Dr. Daniel Drezner
Daniel Drezner
Daniel W. Drezner is currently a professor of international politics at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, the author of several books, the author of many Op-Ed pieces in major publications, a blogger, and a commentator.In 2005, he was denied tenure by the University of...
(Tufts University
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
); Dr. Peter Feaver (Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
); Dr. Carol Graham (Brookings Institution
Brookings Institution
The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, D.C., in the United States. One of Washington's oldest think tanks, Brookings conducts research and education in the social sciences, primarily in economics, metropolitan policy, governance, foreign policy, and...
); Dr. Robert Jensen (University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
); Dr. Stephen Krasner (Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
); Dr. Michael Kremer
Michael Kremer
Michael Robert Kremer is a development economist and is currently the Gates Professor of Developing Societies at Harvard University. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship and a Presidential Faculty Fellowship, and was named a Young Global...
(Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
); Dr. Philip Levy (American Enterprise Institute
American Enterprise Institute
The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research is a conservative think tank founded in 1943. Its stated mission is "to defend the principles and improve the institutions of American freedom and democratic capitalism—limited government, private enterprise, individual liberty and...
); Dr. Edmund Malesky (University of California, San Diego
University of California, San Diego
The University of California, San Diego, commonly known as UCSD or UC San Diego, is a public research university located in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego, California, United States...
); Dr. Ann Owen (Hamilton College); Dr. Robert Putnam
Robert Putnam
Robert David Putnam is a political scientist and professor of public policy at the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government. He is also visiting professor and director of the Manchester Graduate Summer Programme in Social Change, University of Manchester...
(Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
); Dr. Allan Stam (University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
).
One of the main authors of the 2007 report, Will Inboden, was a senior white-house official in the administration of George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
. Ryan Streeter
Ryan Streeter
Ryan Streeter is currently Editor of ConservativeHomeUSA, the U.S. edition of the British political site of the same name. He is also a Nonresident Transatlantic Fellow of the German Marshall Fund, a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Sagamore Institute, a Nonresident Scholar at the Institute...
, a senior fellow at the institute, was the director of HUD's Center for Faith Based and Community Initiatives in the same administration.