Japan is one of the 10 best countries in the world, according to Americans.
Key details: American media company U.S. News shared its annual Best Countries ranking on Thursday.
U.S. News’ survey initially collected data from over 17,000 people living in 36 different nations but isolated the answers of its American participants for its recent report to see how perceptions in the U.S. can vary.
Americans who participated in U.S. News’ survey to determine this year’s rankings believe that the United Kingdom is the world’s best nation, followed by New Zealand, the United States, Australia, Sweden, Canada, Japan, France, Switzerland and Germany.
Factors to consider: The annual survey showed that the U.S. dropped from No. 1 to No. 5 this year. American participants ranked the U.S. highly in several attributes such as entrepreneurship, consumer brands, access to capital and cultural entertainment. However, they had lower self-perceptions in areas like transparency in government and business practices, tax environment and income equality.
The participants generally agreed with the rest of the world on key issues like the importance of mental health care, women’s rights, the necessity of teaching history and the value of free press and democracy. However, they had differing opinions on whether countries like China and Russia posed global threats.
Political leanings within the U.S. also influenced agreement levels on various statements, particularly regarding racial and ethnic diversity and the country’s focus on itself before helping others.
Overall rankings: Switzerland was voted the world’s best country overall by international participants. The ranking’s other top 10 countries are Canada, Sweden, Australia, the United States, Japan, Germany, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
