「最高の国(Best Countries)」ランキング、日本2位 起業家精神は1位 米誌
Newsphere
Apr 22 2021
Sean Pavone / Shutterstock.com
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2021年版「最高の国レポート」において、日本は総合スコアで99.1点を獲得し、総合ランクで首位カナダに次ぐ2位となった。昨年の3位から1ランク上昇した。カテゴリ別では、文化的影響力が世界5位と評価されたほか、起業家精神が世界トップとなっている。同ランキングはUSニューズ＆ワールド・レポート誌が毎年選定しているもので、今年で6回目を数える。
◆78ヶ国中2位に
ランキングは世界的な影響力を明らかにするもので、ハード面のみならず総合的な指標で各国の価値を分析することを目的とし、78ヶ国を対象に順位づけが行われた。総合ランキングのトップ10は次のようになった。欧米諸国が並ぶなか、日本はアジアから唯一の入選となっている。
1位：カナダ
2位：日本
3位：ドイツ
4位：スイス
5位：オーストラリア
6位：アメリカ
7位：ニュージーランド
8位：イギリス
9位：スウェーデン
10位：オランダ
11위: 프랑스
12위: 덴마크
13위: 노르웨이
14위: 싱가폴
15위: 한국
16위: 이탈리아
17위: 중국
18위: 핀란드
19위: 스페인
20위: 벨기에
21위: 오스트리아
22위: 아랍 에미레이트
23위: 아일랜드
24위: 러시아
25위: 인도
26위: 브라질
27위: 그리스
28위: 태국
29위: 폴투갈
30위: 이스라엘
31위: 멕시코
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77위: 엘살바돌
78위: 이라크
調査は世界1万7000人以上の個人を対象にしたアンケートをベースにしている。76項目の評価項目に対し、それぞれの国との間にどれくらいの関連性があると思うかを回答してもらった。評価項目はさらに10のカテゴリにグループ化され、「冒険（旅先としての刺激）」「俊敏さ」「文化的影響」「起業家精神」「伝統」「将来の成長見込」「ビジネスの容易さ」「パワー（外交・軍事）」「社会正義」「人生の質」の分類ごとにスコアを算出している。各スコアは正規化を行い、項目間で比較できるよう統計的に処理された。カテゴリごとのスコアに重みづけを施し、最終的な総合スコアを算定している。
◆起業に適した環境が揃う日本
日本についてUSニューズ誌（4月13日）は、「世界で最も教養があり技術的にも発達した国」だと述べている。経済面では2011年の東日本大震災に触れつつ、その影響からはほぼ立ち直ったと見ている。自動車、電子機器、鉄鋼などの産業は世界トップレベルだとも同誌は述べる。文化面では、茶道、書道、武道などが発展しており、寿司など食文化や各種世界遺産などでも知られると紹介している。
今年度のランキングでは日本は起業家精神のカテゴリでトップとなり、この分野で2位のドイツと3位のアメリカを上回った。日本人が高い起業家精神を持っているかは議論が分かれそうだが、ランキングでは起業を実現しやすい環境の有無が評価対象になっており、この点でスコアを伸ばした可能性がある。カテゴリを構成する評価項目は「他国との連携」「教育人口」「起業家精神」「革新性」「出資者へのアクセス容易性」「習熟した労働力」「技術的経験知」「ビジネス経験知の公開度」「インフラの発達」「法的枠組みの発達」となっている。カテゴリとしての「起業家精神」のスコアは、これらの単純平均で算出された。
日本がスコアを伸ばしたほかのカテゴリとしては、「文化的影響」で世界5位、「将来の成長見込」「パワー」で各6位、「俊敏さ」で7位となっている。反対に最も順位が低かったのは「ビジネスの容易さ」の26位、「冒険」の28位となったが、それでも78ヶ国中の上位半数に入る結果となった。
◆首位は人権尊重のカナダ
総合で首位となったのはカナダだ。カテゴリ別では、「人生の質」と「社会正義」でそれぞれ100点満点のスコアを獲得し、各単独1位となった。さらに細分化し、社会正義を構成する11の個別指標を見ると、「人権への配慮」「社会正義への取り組み」「人種間の公平性」「所有権の遵守」の4つの指標でカナダは世界トップとなっている。
同じ北米のアメリカと比較すると、移民に寛容なカナダの特性が際立つ。USニューズは「社会正義でアメリカが18位となる一方、カナダと北欧諸国は最も熱心に取り組んでいると見られている」「こと人種の公平性に限ると、アメリカは69位がやっとで、これは中国とイラク双方の後塵を拝している」と述べている。
今年のランキングには昨年までのカテゴリに加え、「俊敏さ」「社会正義」の項目が新たに加わった。USニューズ誌は俊敏さについて、パンデミックによって急速な変革が必要とされた年であったことを反映したと説明している。社会正義についてはBLM運動などの高まりを受けてのものと見られる。
【関連記事】
世界軍事力ランキング2020 日本5位、英・仏・韓凌ぐ
健康に暮らせる国ランキング、日本2位 コロナとの闘いで有利か 英調査
国別ブランドランキング、日本2連覇 見直される日本の伝統的価値観
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Canada is the No. 1 Country in the World, According to the 2021 Best Countries Report
The sixth annual Best Countries report reveals the importance of social justice as a global ambition, the unexpected societal byproduct of the COVID-19 crisis and the influence of conspiracy theories.
U.S. News & World Repot
April 13, 2021
Canada is the No. 1 Country
Washington, D.C. – For the first time, Canada takes the top spot overall in the 2021 Best Countries Report, a ranking and analysis project by U.S. News & World Report; BAV Group, a unit of global marketing communications company VMLY&R; and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
This year, the model that powers this report has evolved in response to a transformational year since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cultural, economic, political and technological influences remain important, and two new categories have been added: social purpose and agility. Together, this broad range of categories determines how the 78 countries studied are ranked on the world stage.
“Nations are impacted on many critical fronts by how they are perceived globally – from foreign relations to international business to tourism. These perceptions are ever-evolving in a rapidly changing world,” said Kim Castro, editor and chief content officer at U.S. News. “The 2021 Best Countries analysis combines data and storytelling to explore how countries compare on a host of global issues.”
Key themes from the 2021 Best Countries Report
- For the first time, Canada is the No. 1 overall country. Japan and Germany finish Nos. 2 and 3, respectively, while Switzerland, the previous No. 1 overall country, falls to No. 4. Australia remains as the No. 5 overall country followed by the United States, which rises one position to No. 6 overall.
- Canada ranks No. 1 in quality of life and social purpose. It is also perceived as having a good job market, caring about human rights and is committed to social justice. Additionally, the country finished No. 1 in being viewed as not corrupt and respecting property rights.
- Social justice is a global ambition. Eighty percent of global citizens feel aligned with social justice, a broad term that refers to movements calling for addressing racial and gender inequities, while 76% also agree that a country is stronger when it is more racially and ethnically diverse. Canada and the Nordic countries are viewed as the most committed to social justice, while the U.S. sits at No. 18. And on the specific topic of racial equality, the U.S. only manages to achieve No. 69, behind both China and Iraq.
- Women are viewed as effective leaders. Eighty-three percent of global citizens believe there is a leadership crisis in the world today. The majority of respondents view women leaders in a positive light, as 68% agree that countries led by women tend to be better managed.
- A nation’s perceived agility is the most important driver of strength in 2021. Across the countries measured, agility accounts for per capita GDP variations the most – underscoring that it is essential for any country to be seen as adaptable, progressive and responsive. The new Agility subranking carries the greatest weight among the 10 subrankings. The U.S. leads the world in perceived agility, but is not among the top 10 in adaptability, coming in at No. 13 on this attribute.
- The influence of conspiracy theories. A majority of respondents (75%) agree that conspiracy theories are a threat to society. However, 39% believe that governments have made up the COVID-19 pandemic to control their citizens.
“This year the model behind the Best Countries report has been updated and evolved in response to 2020, a year like no other,” said John Keaveney, WPP advisor and head of Analytics & Insight, BAV Group. “From the death of George Floyd and the subsequent rise of the social justice movement, to the need for quick and decisive action by our governments and scientists to tackle the threat from COVID-19, all such seismic events now play a role in the way citizens rate a nation and its society as a whole. By combining more traditional measures of a nation’s power and influence with our new dimensions of Social Purpose and Agility, we are now able to more accurately measure the strength and perceptual equity of any country in 2021.”
In addition to the overall rankings, the report also includes:
- 25 subrankings and “Best for” Lists
- The third annual Origin Index, in which respondents were asked to pick the countries they would prefer to buy goods from as a measure of each country’s brand power.
- Articles examining racial and gender inequality a closer examination of Canada’s vaccine rollout and treatment hesitancy among the country’s First Nations communities, how well the world is recovering economically and the impact the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol has had on views about the United States.
The 2021 Best Countries rankings methodology gathered from a proprietary survey of more than 17,000 business leaders; college educated individuals that are middle class or higher; and general citizens who are nationally representative of their country. “Countries should care about their image – it is not just a beauty contest. The impressions others have of a country affects its economy through tourism, foreign trade and foreign direct investment,” said David Reibstein, professor of marketing at the Wharton School.
The Best Countries project includes in-depth news articles, an interactive data explorer, photos and commentary from global experts in government, business and academia. It is part of U.S. News’ Government Rankings initiative, which measures government performance at the international, state and local levels and includes the Best States and Healthiest Communities projects.
To view the full rankings and search country profiles, visit https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries and follow coverage on Facebook and Twitter using #BestCountries.
2021 Best Countries rankings
*See the full rankings here.
- Canada
- Japan
- Germany
- Switzerland
- Australia
- United States
- New Zealand
- United Kingdom
- Sweden
- The Netherlands
- United States
- China
- Russia
- United States
- Australia
- Canada
- Canada
- Denmark
- New Zealand
- Sweden
- Demark
- Norway
- South Korea
- Singapore
- United States
- The Netherlands
- Canada
- New Zealand
Media Contact: Jessica L. Lewis, jllewis@usnews.com, 202-955-2203
About U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is the global leader in quality rankings that empower people to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives. A digital news and information company focused on Education, Health, Money, Travel, Cars and News, USNews.com provides consumer advice, rankings and analysis to serve people making complex decisions throughout all stages of life. More than 40 million people visit USNews.com each month for research and guidance. Founded in 1933, U.S. News is headquartered in Washington, D.C.
About BAV Group
BAV Group is a global consultancy with expertise in consumer insights and brand marketing strategy. Using BrandAsset® Valuator, a proprietary brand management tool and global database of consumer perceptions of brands, BAV informs strategic and creative solutions that drive business results. Over 28 years, BAV has captured data and consumer insights on more than 60,000 brands in 50 countries around the world, evaluating 75 brand image and equity dimensions that matter. BAV Group is a unit of global marketing communications company VMLY&R, a WPP company (NYSE: WPP). Visit bavgroup.com to learn more.
About the Wharton School
Founded in 1881 as the first collegiate business school, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is recognized globally for intellectual leadership and ongoing innovation across every major discipline of business education. With a broad global community and one of the most published business school faculties, Wharton creates economic and social value around the world. The School has 5,000 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students; more than 9,000 participants in executive education programs annually and a powerful alumni network of 94,000 graduates. For more information, visit http://seicenter.wharton.upenn.edu.
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Why Canada Took the Top Spot on This Year’s ‘Best Countries’ List
U.S. & World Report
Apr 20, 2021
Wharton’s David Reibstein talks with Wharton Business Daily on Sirius XM about the 2021 Best Countries Report.
Canada is the apparent envy of the world, earning the top spot on the U.S. News & World Report Best Countries rankings for 2021.
The nation has always scored well since the list began six years ago, but this is the first time that America’s neighbor to the north has hit the No. 1 position. Canada also placed high on several subrankings including quality of life, social purpose, agility, entrepreneurship, and an “open for business” climate. It’s perceived as having a good job market, no corruption, and a steadfast commitment to social justice and human rights.
“Generally, they are strong on just about every dimension, which is pretty amazing because most countries are strong on some and weak on some others,” Wharton marketing professor David Reibstein said in an interview with Wharton Business Daily on SiriusXM. (Listen to the podcast at the top of this page.) “There’s very, very little controversy that happens [in Canada], so it’s a country that people feel very positive about.”
Reibstein produces the rankings annually in partnership with U.S. News & World Report and BAV Group, a unit of global marketing communications company VMLY&R. The 2021 list measures perceptions about 78 nations chosen because they contribute most to the world’s GDP. More than 17,000 people around the world were asked to evaluate the countries based on 76 attributes ranging from political stability to racial equity to health consciousness. One-third of the survey respondents were business leaders; one-third were college-educated individuals who were middle class or higher; and one-third were from the general population.
“There’s very, very little controversy that happens [in Canada], so it’s a country that people feel very positive about.”–David Reibstein
The results of this year’s survey were undoubtedly shaped by the coronavirus pandemic, widespread civil unrest, and other factors that influenced perceptions of how each country is handling crisis.
“Nations are impacted on many critical fronts by how they are perceived globally — from foreign relations to international business to tourism. These perceptions are ever-evolving in a rapidly changing world,” said Kim Castro, editor and chief content officer at U.S. News. The analysis “combines data and storytelling to explore how countries compare on a host of global issues.”
The top 10 best countries are:
1. Canada
2. Japan
3. Germany
4. Switzerland
5. Australia
6. United States
7. New Zealand
8. United Kingdom
9. Sweden
10. Netherlands
The U.S. climbed one spot to No. 6 this year, but it has never held the top position. When the ranking premiered in 2016, America was fourth, and it slipped to No. 8 a year later. Reibstein believes the 2017 slide reflected the political landscape in the U.S. because the data was collected after the tumultuous 2016 election that put President Donald Trump in the White House.
“This year, we delayed the data collection until after the election once again, and what we saw is that the United States goes back up to No. 6,” he said.
America nabbed this year’s top score for agility, which helped boost its overall ranking. Agile countries as seen as modern, dynamic, progressive, adaptable, and responsive, according to the report.
“While we may not have handled the pandemic superbly, people have perceived us as being very good and very strong in our ability to be agile,” Reibstein said, noting that the U.S. also scored high in power and cultural influence.
“You don’t see wild swings because people have entrenched beliefs about particular countries.”–David Reibstein
Japan received a perfect score for entrepreneurship, which helped it clinch the No. 2 spot. Reibstein said it reflects Japan’s reputation for innovation. Germany once held the pole position for best overall country and for entrepreneurship, but the fallout from the Volkswagen scandal and struggles with immigration likely pushed it down the list a bit to No. 3, Reibstein said.
South Korea, Slovakia, and the U.K.
South Korea made the biggest leap on the list, jumping from No. 20 last year to No. 15 this year. Reibstein said that kind of movement is surprising: “You don’t see wild swings because people have entrenched beliefs about particular countries.”
He thinks the ranking was heavily influenced by how South Korea handled the COVID-19 pandemic — the country scored sixth on agility. It also made significant climbs on subrankings in entrepreneurship (from eighth to fifth) and quality of life (from 23rd to 18th).
“There’s sort of a halo effect,” Reibstein said. “They’re seen more as a mover than they were before. They’re seen to have more cultural influence, all the way from No. 20 in the world to No. 7. That may be K-pop, but I think it’s overall belief of a more positive attitude toward South Korea.”
While South Korea is basking in the glow, Slovakia is reeling from a hard fall. It went from No. 52 last year to No. 62 this year.
“The country that suffered the most, and I have no explanation for it, is Slovakia,” Reibstein said. “Don’t ask me to explain why that perception shifted.”
Reibstein also noted the “steady decline” of the United Kingdom, likely driven by Brexit and its handling of the pandemic. The U.K. was in the top three during the first few years of the ranking, dropped to No. 6 last year, and now is at No. 8.
“The fact that they even have a [COVID-19] variant that’s named after them, I’m sure doesn’t help at all,” he said.