New Zealand tops global index on social and environmental performance

A newly-released study based on rankings of ecological and social factors rather than economic and material output has seen New Zealand take the top spot over the 132 world countries surveyed.

The global index survey, undertaken by the Social Progress Imperative, uses 50 indicators of social advancement, including freedom and human rights, access to quality education, internet access, health, sanitation and personal safety. Questions relate to how a country satisfies its citizens’ needs as regards quality of life and achievement of potential.

According to Michael Green, the non-profit Social Progress Imperative’s executive director, social progress doesn’t automatically come with economic growth. Measuring a country’s financial growth, he added, doesn’t help with tackling inequality and poverty amongst its citizens.

New Zealand’s high scores related to its internet access, personal freedom and human rights record and focus on quality education for all. Switzerland, Iceland, the Netherlands, Australia, Iceland, Canada, Norway, Denmark and Finland also made it into the top ten.

A lack of environmental stability forced several of the world’s richest economies into positions further down the list, with Germany taking 12th place, the UK in 13th and Japan in 14th place. The USA managed 16th place due to problems with healthcare, wellness, education and access to basic knowledge, and France scraped in at 20th.

Towards the bottom of the pack were China in 90th place and India in 102nd, and a number of African nations made up the worst 10 countries. New Zealand’s Immigration authority is, unsurprisingly, thrilled with the result of the survey, with its immigration minister stating that he’s overjoyed his country’s enviable lifestyle is now fully recognised on the world stage and will encourage even more immigrants to arrive from the UK.