How Canada ranks on the global stage

Canada is the No. 1 country in the world for quality of life, according to the 2019 Best Countries Report, a rankings and analysis project by U.S. News & World Report, BAV Group and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

This is the fourth consecutive year that Canada placed first in the ‘Quality of Life’ category. The report covers perceptions of 80 nations, taking into account attributes in nine broad categories, listed in the chart below.

“My family and I moved to Toronto for better opportunities, a stable government, and safety. It was the best move we ever made,” says Ayse Barut, a Turkish Canadian citizen who immigrated in 2014.

The category takes into consideration attributes like the job market, income equality, political stability, safety and a well-developed public system.

However, this year also breaks Canada’s previous two-year streak of the second-best country in the world to live in.

“Japan rises to the second spot overall as the world anticipates the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo; the country is perceived as the most forward-looking, and for the first time, ranks as first for entrepreneurship,” according to the U.S News & World Report.

The report also lists Canada as No. 2 when it comes to citizenship, up from No. 4 from last year. This is based on factors like gender equality, human rights, religious freedom, and the environment.

“My parents wanted me to be able to do and be whatever I wanted without fear. They wanted a future for me, and Canada is the future,” says Vy Tran, who immigrated from Vietnam in 2004.

Overall
1. Switzerland
2. Japan
3. Canada
4. Germany
5. United Kingdom
6. Sweden
7. Australia
8. United States
9. Norway
10. France

For Citizenship
1. Norway
2. Canada
3. Switzerland

For Quality of Life
1. Canada
2. Sweden
3. Denmark

For Women
1. Sweden
2. Denmark
3. Canada

For Education
1. United Kingdom
2. United States
3. Canada