For the first time, Switzerland took the top spot on an annual survey of the best countries. (Courtesy: Fabrice Coffrini/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images)
(Liam Stack, The New York Times) – Between seemingly nonstop political jolts and springlike winter days, the world has felt like a pretty unstable place lately. As news alerts buzz your phone and temperatures fluctuate wildly from day to day, you may ask yourself, are there any stable places left in the world?
The answer is yes. So, relax.
An annual survey of the best countries in the world was released on Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report, along with Y&R’s BAV Consulting and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Their 2017 rankings prioritized countries that enjoyed some measure of peace, quiet and prosperity.
“Our data captured widespread global concern for the social and geopolitical changes that cast many nations into uncertainty and turmoil,” said John Gerzema, chief executive of BAV Consulting. “The new rankings reflect people’s desire to restore some sense of order by rewarding nations they perceive as championing neutrality, stability, and diplomacy.”
The survey was conducted after the 2016 United States presidential election and polled more than 21,000 people described by organizers as “business leaders, informed elites, and general citizens.” America slid three spots and was ranked the seventh-best country in the world.
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