The Legatum Prosperity Index analyses the performance of 167 nations across 67 policy-focused elements, measured by 300 country-level indicators. The Index enables us to construct a thoroughly comprehensive picture of prosperity, across its institutional, economic, and social dimensions. It is our ambition that leaders around the world will use the Index to help set their agendas for growth and development, and that it will enable others to hold them to account.

The indicators used in the Index are organised into 12 pillars which are grouped into three domains essential to prosperity:

• Inclusive Societies: Safety and Security, Personal Freedom, Governance, and Social Capital
• Open Economies: Investment Environment, Enterprise Conditions, Infrastructure and Market Access, and Economic Quality
• Empowered People: Living Conditions, Health, Education, and Natural Environment

Using the Prosperity Index framework, nations around the world can assess their strengths and weaknesses in order to determine the economic and strategic choices that need to be made to drive greater levels of prosperity.

Key Findings

The Index shows that, overall, Denmark is the most prosperous country in the world, followed by Sweden and Norway. Western Europe is the most prosperous region, followed by North America and East Asia and Pacific.

Having seen global prosperity improve steadily between 2015 and 2019, this year’s Legatum Prosperity Index finds that prosperity has plateaued for the third year running.

Whilst the plateauing of prosperity has been caused — at least in part — by both the health and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it has also been driven by the concerning erosion of many of the core features that underpin prosperity. Specifically, we have seen an ongoing deterioration in Political Accountability and Freedom of Speech and Assembly in most regions of the world.

To learn more about prosperity and explore how the regions and individual countries around the world perform across the 12 pillars of prosperity, download the 2023 report or visit prosperity.com.