DON’T MISS
IamExpat Job BoardIamExpat HousingIamExpat Webinars
Newsletters
EXPAT INFO
CAREER
HOUSING
EDUCATION
LIFESTYLE
EXPAT SERVICES
NEWS & ARTICLES
Home
Expat Info
Swiss news & articles
Switzerland perceived to be the best country in the world in latest survey
Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy

Switzerland perceived to be the best country in the world in latest survey

Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy
or
follow us for regular updates:



Related Stories

Which nationalities visit Switzerland the most?Which nationalities visit Switzerland the most?
Switzerland ranked as the best country on Earth for quality of lifeSwitzerland ranked as the best country on Earth for quality of life
4 in 10 have fare dodged on Swiss public transport, survey reveals4 in 10 have fare dodged on Swiss public transport, survey reveals
The best employers in Switzerland for 2025 revealed by new surveyThe best employers in Switzerland for 2025 revealed by new survey
Which Swiss canton will age the most in the next 30 years?Which Swiss canton will age the most in the next 30 years?
How do working hours in Switzerland compare to the rest of Europe?How do working hours in Switzerland compare to the rest of Europe?
What is the most common day to give birth in Switzerland?What is the most common day to give birth in Switzerland?
From salaries to working hours: What do workers in Switzerland value the most?From salaries to working hours: What do workers in Switzerland value the most?
For expats of all colours, shapes and sizes

Explore
Expat infoCareerHousingEducationLifestyleExpat servicesNews & articles
About us
IamExpat MediaAdvertisePost a jobContact usSitemap
More IamExpat
IamExpat Job BoardIamExpat HousingWebinarsNewsletters
Privacy
Terms of usePrivacy policyCookiesAvoiding scams

Never miss a thing!Sign up for expat events, news & offers, delivered once a week.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy


© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
Sep 30, 2022
Jan de Boer

Editor at IamExpat Media

Jan studied History at the University of York and Broadcast Journalism at the University of Sheffield. Though born in York, Jan has lived most of his life in Zurich and has worked as a journalist, writer and editor since 2016. While he has plunged head-first back into life in Switzerland since returning to the country in 2020, he still enjoys a taste of home at pub quizzes and karaoke nights.Read more

The latest Best Countries ranking by U.S. News has named Switzerland as the best country in the world. To create the ranking, the study uses people's perceptions of 73 “country attributes,” ranging from quality of life to entrepreneurship.

Best Countries ranking 2022

The Best Countries ranking by U.S. News is a study of how 85 different countries are perceived around the world. To create the ranking, 17.000 people from a range of different backgrounds were surveyed to see how each nation is seen based on 73 different “attributes.” These are arranged into 10 separate categories, which are weighted from most important (the top of this list) to least:

  • Quality of Life
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Agility
  • Social Purpose
  • Movers
  • Cultural Influence
  • Open for Business
  • Adventure
  • Power
  • Heritage

Within each of these categories, people were asked questions ranging from how they rated the availability of jobs and quality of healthcare in each country, to how progressive and unique they believe a nation's society is and the quality of their historical sites. Each nation is then given a grade in each category, and a weighted average is given as the final score.  

Switzerland regarded as the best country in the world

In this year’s ranking, Switzerland has reclaimed the top spot after coming fourth in 2021, and is now perceived as the best country in the world. Germany came in second, with Canada, the United States and Sweden rounding out the top five.

Switzerland was praised highly, placing in the top 10 in the Open for Business, Quality of Life, Social Purpose, Cultural Influence and Entrepreneurship categories. As it is the home to many large international companies and banks, and has a strong and skilled workforce, it did especially well in business categories.

Swiss people are perceived to be politically engaged and healthy

Switzerland was also praised for providing a healthy lifestyle and having a politically engaged population, with the survey ranking Switzerland first in regard to caring about human rights and being health conscious. The study claimed that, even though the country joined sanctions against Russia, people still perceive Switzerland to be neutral and diplomatically astute.

Despite being top of the order, there were some areas where Switzerland was held back. The alpine nation's lowest score was in the “Movers ” category, as fewer people regard Switzerland as “different, distinctive, dynamic and unique.”

The best-perceived nations in the world in 2022

In all, these are perceived to be the best countries in the world in 2022:

  1. Switzerland
  2. Germany
  3. Canada
  4. United States
  5. Sweden
  6. Japan
  7. Australia
  8. United Kingdom
  9. France
  10. Denmark

For more information about how the ranking was calculated, check out the U.S. News website.

By Jan de Boer