Foreign Media: According to the Atlantic Council's 2026 Prosperity Index, the top ten most prosperous countries globally are dominated by Nordic nations: Norway (91.6 points), Iceland (90.1), Denmark (90.0), and Sweden (89.4) lead the rankings, followed closely by Ireland, Switzerland, Belgium, Finland, the Netherlands, and Slovenia. Europe occupies 30 of the top 40 positions.
Norway's per capita GDP reaches $90,000, with oil revenues funding a sovereign wealth fund amounting to $2.2 trillion—doubled over the past decade—used to support public services such as healthcare and education. Central European countries like Slovenia (ranked 10th) and the Czech Republic (12th) outperform Germany (13th) and France (23rd) due to their strong performance in equality, healthcare, and education. In Asia, Singapore ranks 18th globally with a per capita GDP of $93,000, while Japan and South Korea both enter the top 30.
Despite having the world’s largest economy, the United States ranks only 38th, scoring poorly on indicators such as inequality, environmental performance, and access to opportunities for minority groups. Life expectancy ranks 46th worldwide—lowest among similarly high-income nations. Prosperity is not solely determined by total wealth, but rather by how effectively wealth is transformed into widespread well-being.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1865182094924811/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.