The Legatum Institute has released its annual report comparing the prosperity of the globe’s nations. I’m always interested in examining Canada’s place in the world as I think it presents us with an opportunity to congratulate ourselves on our successes, but also see what needs improvement.
Furthermore, by seeing what categories other nations succeed in, we can borrow and adapt some of their processes to aid in our own improvement.
So, without further ado, here’s some notes on Canada as the 7th most prosperous nation on Earth.
Our rankings
- Economic Fundamentals – 6th
- Entrepreneurship and Innovation – 4th
- Democratic Institutions – 6th
- Education – 16th
- Health – 22nd
- Safety and Security – 9th
- Governance – 9th
- Personal Freedom – 3rd
- Social Capital – 9th
High marks
We are commended for having strong, stable democratic institutions, including a highly independent judicial system. Regulation and diversification of the economy has allowed us to weather this recession fairly decently. Canadians are generally in touch with their families and communities, giving us decent marks in social capital. Approx 94% of Canadians have a PC, giving us the highest rankings in the world on this marker! Healthcare was satisfactory, while education is on par with other nations.
Perhaps our most praiseworthy success is what Legatum has called “Personal Freedom” – that is, to be who you want to be. There are high levels of tolerance for minorities and immigrants, while we also scored the highest possible for freedom of movement, religion, and speech. Especially in comparison with other countries, where racism and ethnic gaps are alive and thriving, Canada’s lesson to the world in the 21st century may well be a true, functioning multi-cultural society. Trudeau would be proud.
Needs Improvement
Despite a relatively high rate of new businesses, we continue to unsuccessfully market our corporations globally. Primary education is top-notch, but secondary and tertiary enrolment lag far behind the best countries in this sector. We lack enough hospital beds in the system, giving us 41st place in this ranking. We are also becoming suspicious of our politicians, with 51% of Canadians believing the government is corrupt – a striking comparison to the 37% who believe corporations are corrupt.