The "Best Countries 2026" ranking, prepared by the Wharton Business School of the USA, has identified the most livable countries in the world.
Modern.az reports that the research is based on a survey conducted among 15,131 adult respondents from 33 countries and reflects people's opinions on which countries provide the highest quality of life today.
When preparing the ranking, criteria such as safety, level of healthcare and education, economic opportunities, quality of public services, and social infrastructure were taken into account.
In the 2026 ranking, Sweden took the first place. Denmark and Canada come in second and third place.
Overall, 20 of the countries in the top "30" are located in Europe.
The study covers 85 states selected according to GDP, foreign direct investment, tourism, and human development indicators. Sweden was taken as the benchmark with an index score of 100, and the indicators of other countries were calculated based on its result.
The countries at the forefront of the ranking are united by strong state institutions, an accessible healthcare system, high public safety, and high trust of citizens in each other and in the state. These factors precisely form their international reputation as the most livable countries.
The results of the study also coincide with other influential international reports. For example, Finland has ranked first in the "World Happiness Report" for the ninth consecutive year. Denmark, Norway, and Sweden also consistently rank among the leaders in terms of welfare, social trust, and life satisfaction.
At the bottom of the ranking are countries facing long-term armed conflicts, weak state institutions, and economic instability.
Ukraine took the last place on the list. It was preceded by Iran and Lebanon. The report notes that the ongoing political and economic instability in these countries negatively affects the living standards of the population.
The authors of the study emphasize that today a strong economy alone is not enough for a high quality of life. Effective public administration, accessible healthcare, security, a developed social protection system, and high trust in society have become the main criteria of the modern world.
