S’pore ranked 14th in best countries report; Japan is no. 2, only Asian country in top 10

Singaporeans love their rankings, from boasting about the best airport to taking pride in the national carrier.
Though we secretly snickered when our island nation was ranked as Asia’s Happiest Country this year, we still gladly lapped it up.
Alas, Singapore came in at a respectable number 14 according to a report by the U.S. News & World Report and Wharton School on the best countries in the world.
According to the report, Singapore’s ranking is attributed due to its high Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita and low unemployment rate.
Japan took the second spot this year, the only Asian country to make it into the top 10.
As expected, Switzerland took the top spot for the third consecutive year.
They don’t call it the Swiss standard of living for no reason.
Other Asian countries making it to the top 20 include China (#16), and South Korea (#17).
The 2024 Best Countries analysis is in its ninth year and evaluates 89 countries across 73 different attributes.
Sub grouped into 10 sub-rankings that include heritage, power, social purpose, and cultural influence.
The sub-ranking of “movers” which considers a country’s future growth is the most heavily weighted factor this year and Singapore scored 72.9 upon a 100, ranking at number 11 overall.
Photos: US News & World Report, Pexel