World rankings of countries and cities compare progress on development, sustainability, quality of life, globalization and more.
Country Rankings
UNDP Human Development Report – The UNDP’s Human Development Index (HDI) measures and ranks a country’s level of development based on three fundamental indicators: income, health and education. The 2010 Human Development Report introduced three new multidimensional measures of inequality and poverty.
Legatum Prosperity Index – Ranking of countries’ prosperity levels based on eight “foundations for national development:” economy, entrepreneurship and opportunity, governance, education, health, safety and security, personal freedom, and social capital.
Environmental Performance Index (EPI) – Leading ranking of the environmental performance of countries around the world based on 25 performance indicators grouped under two key objectives: environmental health and ecosystem vitality.
Mercer Quality of Living Survey – Ranking of local living conditions in 420 cities worldwide. The Mercer quality of living index incorporates 39 factors, grouped in 10 categories: political and social environment; economic environment; socio-cultural environment; health and sanitation; schools and education; public services and transportation; recreation; consumer goods; housing; and natural environment.
KOF Index of Globalization – Ranking of the most global countries based on three dimensions of globalization: economic globalization, social globalization and political globalization.
City Rankings
Global Cities Index – Ranking of the most global cities based on five aspects of globalization: business activity, human capital, information exchange, cultural experience, and political engagement. The index is a collaboration of A.T. Kearney, Foreign Policy and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
Economist’s Most Liveable Cities – EIU’s ranking of the liveability of world cities on a scale of 0-100 based on 30 indicators, grouped in five categories: stability (25%); healthcare (20%); culture and environment (25%); education (10%); and infrastructure (20%).
Global MetroMonitor – Ranking of the economic performance of world cities during three time periods: 1993-2007 (pre-recession); 2007-2010 (recession); and 2009-2010 (recovery). The study is a collaboration of the Brookings Institution and the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).
Green City Index – Regional indexes that evaluate and rank the environmental performance of cities around the world based on eight categories: Energy and CO2, Land Use and Buildings, Transport, Waste, Water, Sanitation, Air Quality and Environmental Governance. Developed by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) and sponsored by Siemens.
Global Power Cities Index – Ranking of the “magnetism” or overall urban competitiveness of 35 of the world’s most influential global cities. The GPCI evaluates cities based on six functional areas: Economy, R&D, Cultural Interaction, Livability, Environment and Accessibility.
Related articles and content:
Global Sherpa topic pages and country profiles: Sustainability, Globalization, Developing Countries, BRIC Countries, India, China, Brazil