NZ tops 2016 Prosperity Index
The Legatum 2016 Prosperity Index is out and the top 10 are:
- New Zealand 79.3
- Norway 78.7
- Finland 78.6
- Switzerland 78.1
- Canada 77.7
- Australia 77.5
- Netherlands 77.4
- Sweden 77.4
- Denmark 77.4
- United Kingdom 77.2
The sub-rankings for NZ are:
- Economic quality 1st
- Social capital 1st
- Business environment 2nd
- Governance 2nd
- Personal freedom 3rd
- Health 12th
- Natural environment 13th
- Education 15th
- Safety & security 19th
Their commentary includes:
New Zealand has the strongest society in the world, with 99% of New Zealanders saying they can rely on family and friends in times of need. This social strength has been proved globally to not only have a significant impact on wellbeing, but on economic growth also. New Zealand’s mighty Social Capital performance is certainly at the heart of its success. …
The Business Environment sub-index has risen from 11th to 2nd over the past decade. This is the result of infrastructure improvement – namely greater broadband penetration – but crucially also structural changes. Labour market flexibility has risen noticeably, as has access to affordable financial services or credit for businesses. New Zealand now scores the maximum possible on ease of getting credit. Other areas crucial to New Zealand industry, particularly its highly innovative sectors such as bio-tech, like IP protection, has been improved. The result of this reform is that New Zealand has one of the best environments for business in the world …
Ranked 20th in 2007, the country now ranks 12th in the Health sub-index. This improvement is particularly notable in comparison to UK performance. The two countries’ health systems are the most comparable in the world, and both set out on very similar reforms to the service commissioning process. New Zealand’s ‘Alliance’ model, brought together not just GPs (as in the UK model of reform), but professionals from across the local healthcare sector, encompassing multiple different service providers, from the ambulance service, to local clinics, to major hospitals. Its progress in the Health sub-index has far outstripped that of the UK. In 2007, New Zealand ranked 20th in this sub-index and the UK 22nd. In 2016, the UK still ranks similarly at 20th, but New Zealand has climbed to 12th.
A long way from the hell hole that some opposition politicians make NZ out to be.