Russia climbs two spots as best country

Washington: Russia has climbed two spots to be ranked 24th in the 2018 Best Countries report published by the U.S. News & World Report magazine.

The ranking evaluates 80 countries according to nine criteria: development of tourism sector, innovations, social sphere, culture, economic growth rate, openness for business, quality of life and also power and influence on the global arena and historical heritage.

Switzerland has been named the best country in the world, followed by Japan, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, Sweden and Australia, which outpaced the United States.

The worst countries in the world, according to the ranking, are Angola (78), Iran (79) and Iraq (80). The list also includes Latvia (55), Ukraine (65), Kazakhstan (68) and Belarus (73).

Russia is number one in the power ranking, no change from the previous year. The United States is named “the world’s most dominant economic and military power,” while China is ranked third.

The ranking is a project of the U.S. News & World Report, in partnership with BAV Consulting and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. It is based on the results of an opinion poll, which questioned nearly 21,000 people from around the world, including representatives of business elites and ordinary citizens.