Latest Legatum Prosperity Index™: American Dream at Risk in Key Election Year

News provided by

Legatum Institute

30 Oct, 2012, 00:01 GMT

LONDON, October 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Full release available at: http://www.prosperity.com

  • US drops out of global prosperity 'top ten' for the first time, and falls eight places in 'Entrepreneurship & Opportunity' sub-index.
  • Fewer US citizens agree that working hard results in success.
  • Asian 'Tiger Cub' countries climbing Index rankings quickly.
  • European Economy score drops as Euro crisis continues.
  • Scandinavian countries lead worldwide prosperity rankings.
  • Legatum Prosperity Index™ redraws world map, grouping new continents together according to shared attributes between nations.

As the race for the White House reaches fever pitch, the latest findings from the Legatum Institute's Prosperity Index™ reveal that the American Dream is in jeopardy. In an unprecedented fall, America drops to twelfth position in the worldwide prosperity rankings - with weakening performance across five of the Index's eight sub-categories.[1]

Meanwhile, Scandinavian countries prosper most, with Norway, Denmark and Sweden topping the overall Index (first, second and third). A new generation of Asian 'Tiger Cubs' has also emerged, with Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia all scaling the rankings.

In Europe, overall prosperity has increased, with Ireland, the Netherlands, Ireland and Germany climbing the rankings (now eighth, tenth and 14th respectively). However, more than two thirds (24 out of 33) of European countries have seen their Economy score decline since 2009.

The Legatum Prosperity Index™ is a unique and robust assessment of global wealth and wellbeing, which benchmarks 142 countries around the world in eight categories: Economy; Education; Entrepreneurship & Opportunity; Governance; Health; Personal Freedom; Safety & Security; and Social Capital.

Jeffrey Gedmin, President and CEO of the Legatum Institute, said: "The Legatum Prosperity Index™ allows us to paint a comprehensive picture of what makes a country truly successful, encompassing traditional measures of material wealth, as well as capturing citizens' sense of wellbeing - from how safe they feel, to their perceived personal freedom. GDP alone can never offer a complete view of prosperity."

This year, the Legatum Prosperity Index™ has for the first time redrawn the world map, pulling nations into six new continents based on shared attributes. To view the map, visit: http://press.prosperity.com/Prosperity_Index_Infographic.png

To see the overall rankings, sub-index scores and to compare countries and years, visit: http://www.prosperity.com

Notes to Editors

Further information available by request:

  • Full Legatum Prosperity Index (including country factsheets)
  • Sub-index breakdown
  • Full report
  • Regional analysis

About the Legatum Prosperity Index™

The Legatum Prosperity Index™ is a unique global assessment of national prosperity based on wealth and wellbeing. In its 6th year, the Index assesses 142 countries, representing more than 96% of the world's population and 99% of the world's GDP. Using rigorous research and analysis, the Index ranks countries based on their performance in eight sub‐indices.

[1]Full definitions of the eight sub-indices available at http://www.prosperity.com

Media enquiries

For more information or to arrange an interview with Jeffrey Gedmin, contact:

Shazia Ejaz
+44(0)20-7148-5422 / shazia.ejaz@li.com

Emily Fingland / Alexandra Kent
+44(0)1273-716820 / teamlegatuminstitute@manbitesdog.com