Sweden tops the list when it comes to personal safety, according to the 2017 Social Progress Index, published 20 Jun 2017. The index aims to move “beyond GDP” as a measure of a country’s success, and focuses instead on the “social and environmental elements of the performance of countries”. In the area of environmental quality, Sweden is global number two, second only to Switzerland.
Overall in all areas of social progress, Sweden is ranked 8th globally, according to the index, while Denmark tops the index, closely followed by Sweden’s other Nordic neighbours, Finland and Norway.
The Social Progress Index
The Social Progress Index moves away from the traditional measurements of success like income and investment and shifts focus to social and environmental factors, in order to create “a clearer picture of what life is really like for everyday people”. The index uses 50 indicators of social and environmental outcomes, divided across three broad dimensions of social progress: Basic Human Needs, Foundations of Wellbeing, and Opportunity.
