he Good Country Index is calculated by merging thirty-five datasets, which measure the actual behavior of most countries on the planet. These datasets are produced by organizations including the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the World Bank, UNESCO, the Global Footprint Network, and several others.
Read the new edition of the Good Country Index for free here and review the data here.
Overall Rank
The overall rank is based on the average of the category ranks; 26 (out of 35) indicators are based on 2020 data, 7 on 2019 data, 2018 data for Renewable energy share, and 2017 Ecological footprint data. The actual overall rank is based on 169 countries included in the index and the mean rank score for the 7 category ranks.
Categories and Indicators
For the raw data and detailed information click here.
The datasets used in the Good Country Index measure the following behaviors of most countries:
Contributions to Science and Technology
1. International students: Number of foreign students studying in the country (according to UNESCO) relative to the size of the economy.
2. Journal exports: Exports of periodicals, scientific journals, and newspapers (according to ITC) relative to the size of the economy.
3. International publications: Number of articles published in international journals (according to SCImago) relative to the size of the economy.
4. Nobel prizes: Accumulated Nobel prizes (up to 2016) assigned to countries based on laureates' country of birth as well as country (countries) of institutional affiliation at the time of the award, relative to the size of the economy.
5. Patents: Number of International Patent Cooperation Treaty applications (according to WIPO) relative to the size of the economy.
Contributions to Culture
6. International events: Number of international events hosted (according to the Union of International Associations) relative to the size of the economy.
7. Cultural products exports: Exports of cultural goods and services (according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics) relative to the size of the economy.
8. UNESCO dues in arrears as % of contribution: UNESCO dues in arrears as percentage of contribution (negative indicator).
9. Freedom of movement, i.e. visa restrictions: Number of countries and territories that citizens can enter without a visa (according to Henley & Partners).
10. Press freedom: Freedom of the press (according to Reporters without Borders World Press Freedom Index as a negative indicator).
Contributions to International Peace and Security
11. Peacekeeping troops: Number of peacekeeping troops sent overseas for UN missions, relative to the size of the economy.
12. Dues in arrears to UN peace keeping budgets as % of contribution: Dues in arrears to financial contribution to UN peacekeeping missions as percentage of contribution (negative indicator).
13. International violent conflict: Attributed number of casualties of international organized violence (number of casualties per conflict divided by the number of countries involved according to UCDP/PRIO) relative to the size of the economy (negative indicator).
14. Arms exports: Exports of weapons and ammunition (according to ITC) relative to the size of the economy (negative indicator).
15. Internet security: Global Cybersecurity Index score (according to ITU).
Contributions to World Order
16. Charity giving: Percentage of population that gives to charity (according to Charities Aid Foundation) as proxy for cosmopolitan attitude.
17. Refugees hosted: Number of refugees hosted (according to UNHCR) relative to the size of the economy.
18. Refugees generated: Number of refugees overseas (according to UNHCR) relative to the size of the population (negative indicator).
19. Birth rate: Population birth rate (according to World Bank as negative indicator).
20. UN Treaties signed: Number of UN treaties signed (up to 2016) as proxy for diplomatic action and peaceful conflict resolution.
Contributions to Planet and Climate
21. Ecological footprint (2014): National Footprint Accounts, Ecological footprint (according to Global Footprint Network) relative to the size of the economy (negative indicator).
22. Environmental agreements compliance (2015): Percentage compliance to multilateral environmental agreements on hazardous waste, and other chemicals that meet their commitments and obligations in transmitting information as required by each relevant agreement.
23. Hazardous pesticides exports: Hazardous pesticides exports (according to UNEP Environmental Data Explorer) relative to the size of the economy (negative indicator).
24. Renewable energy share (2015): Renewable energy share in the total final energy consumption.
25. Ozone: Consumption of ozone-depleting substances—all (according to UNEP Environmental Data Explorer) relative to the size of the economy (negative indicator).
Contributions to Prosperity and Equality
26. Open trading: Trading across borders (open trading performance compared to best practice; i.e. IFC distance to frontier).
27. UN volunteers abroad: Number of aid workers and volunteers sent overseas (according to UNV) relative to the size of the economy.
28. Money Laundering: Basel AML Index measuring the risk of money laundering and terrorist financing (negative indicator).
29. FDI outflows: FDI outflow (according to UNCTAD) relative to the size of the economy.
30. Development assistance: Development cooperation contributions (aid according to Development Initiatives) relative to the size of the economy.
Contributions to Health and Wellbeing
31. Food aid: Food aid funding (according to WFP) relative to the size of the economy.
32. Pharmaceutical exports: Exports of pharmaceuticals (according to ITC) relative to the size of the economy.
33. Voluntary excess donations to the WHO: Voluntary excess contributions to World Health organization relative to the size of the economy.
34. Humanitarian aid donations: Humanitarian aid contributions (according to UNOCHA) relative to the size of the economy.
35. International Health Regulations Compliance: International Health Regulations Compliance (according to WHO).
Obviously, these datasets all measure different things: money, people, weight (of food or narcotics or pollutants), episodes, weapons and much else. In order to make such widely different datasets compatible, we convert them all into rankings and work with those rankings.
Most of the indicators are then expressed relative to GDP so smaller or poorer countries are not unduly penalized. We then group them into seven categories:
- Contributions to Science and Technology
- Contributions to Culture
- Contributions to International Peace and Security
- Contributions to World Order
- Contributions to Planet and Climate
- Contributions to Prosperity and Equality
- Contributions to Health and Wellbeing
Each country thus has an overall ranking, a ranking in each of the seven categories, and scores on each of the individual 35 datasets.
Countries with missing data on more than 2 out of 5 indicators on any category are excluded from the ranking. This means that a total of 169 countries are measured in the Index.
What Next?
The Good Country Index does not claim to produce any final or definitive answers on any of these complex topics. Its aim is to start a debate about countries and their role in the world.
Of course, the Index can and will be enlarged and improved in the months and years to come. As more good data becomes available, and better ways of combining that data emerge, it will gradually form a wider and fairer picture of each country’s real contribution to the global commons.
In order to improve the Index, we need new ideas and new sources of data. Any suggestions about how to make the Index more comprehensive will be very gratefully received at info@goodcountry.org.
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How the Good Country Index Works
Photo by George Bakos via Unsplash.
March 29, 2022
Good Country Index (GCI) creator Simon Anholt explains the datasets and categories which underpin the GCI - which itself measures the actual behavior of most countries on the planet. Anholt also discusses methodology and his hopes for improving the index in the future.
T
he Good Country Index is calculated by merging thirty-five datasets, which measure the actual behavior of most countries on the planet. These datasets are produced by organizations including the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the World Bank, UNESCO, the Global Footprint Network, and several others.
Read the new edition of the Good Country Index for free here and review the data here.
Overall Rank
The overall rank is based on the average of the category ranks; 26 (out of 35) indicators are based on 2020 data, 7 on 2019 data, 2018 data for Renewable energy share, and 2017 Ecological footprint data. The actual overall rank is based on 169 countries included in the index and the mean rank score for the 7 category ranks.
Categories and Indicators
For the raw data and detailed information click here.
The datasets used in the Good Country Index measure the following behaviors of most countries:
Contributions to Science and Technology
1. International students: Number of foreign students studying in the country (according to UNESCO) relative to the size of the economy.
2. Journal exports: Exports of periodicals, scientific journals, and newspapers (according to ITC) relative to the size of the economy.
3. International publications: Number of articles published in international journals (according to SCImago) relative to the size of the economy.
4. Nobel prizes: Accumulated Nobel prizes (up to 2016) assigned to countries based on laureates' country of birth as well as country (countries) of institutional affiliation at the time of the award, relative to the size of the economy.
5. Patents: Number of International Patent Cooperation Treaty applications (according to WIPO) relative to the size of the economy.
Contributions to Culture
6. International events: Number of international events hosted (according to the Union of International Associations) relative to the size of the economy.
7. Cultural products exports: Exports of cultural goods and services (according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics) relative to the size of the economy.
8. UNESCO dues in arrears as % of contribution: UNESCO dues in arrears as percentage of contribution (negative indicator).
9. Freedom of movement, i.e. visa restrictions: Number of countries and territories that citizens can enter without a visa (according to Henley & Partners).
10. Press freedom: Freedom of the press (according to Reporters without Borders World Press Freedom Index as a negative indicator).
Contributions to International Peace and Security
11. Peacekeeping troops: Number of peacekeeping troops sent overseas for UN missions, relative to the size of the economy.
12. Dues in arrears to UN peace keeping budgets as % of contribution: Dues in arrears to financial contribution to UN peacekeeping missions as percentage of contribution (negative indicator).
13. International violent conflict: Attributed number of casualties of international organized violence (number of casualties per conflict divided by the number of countries involved according to UCDP/PRIO) relative to the size of the economy (negative indicator).
14. Arms exports: Exports of weapons and ammunition (according to ITC) relative to the size of the economy (negative indicator).
15. Internet security: Global Cybersecurity Index score (according to ITU).
Contributions to World Order
16. Charity giving: Percentage of population that gives to charity (according to Charities Aid Foundation) as proxy for cosmopolitan attitude.
17. Refugees hosted: Number of refugees hosted (according to UNHCR) relative to the size of the economy.
18. Refugees generated: Number of refugees overseas (according to UNHCR) relative to the size of the population (negative indicator).
19. Birth rate: Population birth rate (according to World Bank as negative indicator).
20. UN Treaties signed: Number of UN treaties signed (up to 2016) as proxy for diplomatic action and peaceful conflict resolution.
Contributions to Planet and Climate
21. Ecological footprint (2014): National Footprint Accounts, Ecological footprint (according to Global Footprint Network) relative to the size of the economy (negative indicator).
22. Environmental agreements compliance (2015): Percentage compliance to multilateral environmental agreements on hazardous waste, and other chemicals that meet their commitments and obligations in transmitting information as required by each relevant agreement.
23. Hazardous pesticides exports: Hazardous pesticides exports (according to UNEP Environmental Data Explorer) relative to the size of the economy (negative indicator).
24. Renewable energy share (2015): Renewable energy share in the total final energy consumption.
25. Ozone: Consumption of ozone-depleting substances—all (according to UNEP Environmental Data Explorer) relative to the size of the economy (negative indicator).
Contributions to Prosperity and Equality
26. Open trading: Trading across borders (open trading performance compared to best practice; i.e. IFC distance to frontier).
27. UN volunteers abroad: Number of aid workers and volunteers sent overseas (according to UNV) relative to the size of the economy.
28. Money Laundering: Basel AML Index measuring the risk of money laundering and terrorist financing (negative indicator).
29. FDI outflows: FDI outflow (according to UNCTAD) relative to the size of the economy.
30. Development assistance: Development cooperation contributions (aid according to Development Initiatives) relative to the size of the economy.
Contributions to Health and Wellbeing
31. Food aid: Food aid funding (according to WFP) relative to the size of the economy.
32. Pharmaceutical exports: Exports of pharmaceuticals (according to ITC) relative to the size of the economy.
33. Voluntary excess donations to the WHO: Voluntary excess contributions to World Health organization relative to the size of the economy.
34. Humanitarian aid donations: Humanitarian aid contributions (according to UNOCHA) relative to the size of the economy.
35. International Health Regulations Compliance: International Health Regulations Compliance (according to WHO).
Obviously, these datasets all measure different things: money, people, weight (of food or narcotics or pollutants), episodes, weapons and much else. In order to make such widely different datasets compatible, we convert them all into rankings and work with those rankings.
Most of the indicators are then expressed relative to GDP so smaller or poorer countries are not unduly penalized. We then group them into seven categories:
- Contributions to Science and Technology
- Contributions to Culture
- Contributions to International Peace and Security
- Contributions to World Order
- Contributions to Planet and Climate
- Contributions to Prosperity and Equality
- Contributions to Health and Wellbeing
Each country thus has an overall ranking, a ranking in each of the seven categories, and scores on each of the individual 35 datasets.
Countries with missing data on more than 2 out of 5 indicators on any category are excluded from the ranking. This means that a total of 169 countries are measured in the Index.
What Next?
The Good Country Index does not claim to produce any final or definitive answers on any of these complex topics. Its aim is to start a debate about countries and their role in the world.
Of course, the Index can and will be enlarged and improved in the months and years to come. As more good data becomes available, and better ways of combining that data emerge, it will gradually form a wider and fairer picture of each country’s real contribution to the global commons.
In order to improve the Index, we need new ideas and new sources of data. Any suggestions about how to make the Index more comprehensive will be very gratefully received at info@goodcountry.org.
