Canada just lost its title as the best country in the world — here's why

Canada has been dethroned as the best country in the world.

The annual Best Countries Report released on Tuesday revealed that the True North has lost the top spot to a nation that also sports a red and white flag.

Switzerland placed first overall in the analysis conducted by US News & World Report and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Take a look at how this year’s #BestCountries were ranked. https://t.co/gwIeVirsiC

— U.S. News & World Report (@usnews) September 27, 2022

It’s a ranking Canada nabbed last year for the very first time, so the drop does sting a little.

This year Canada placed third overall just behind Germany, and there were several reasons why we fell two spots.

The list of 85 countries was grouped into 10 subcategories including adventure, agility, cultural influence, entrepreneurship, heritage, movers, open for business, power, quality of life, and social purpose.

“The Best Countries rankings are designed to help policymakers and residents identify how perceptions affect their country’s standing among other nations,” said Kim Castro, editor and chief content officer at US News, in a statement.

“Having quality of life as the top sub-ranking demonstrates that elements such as a good job market, affordability, political stability, and well-developed health and education systems are playing an increasingly important role in shaping a country’s global image.”

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While Canada scored well for quality of life, ranking third, it lacked in other subcategories.

Its worst ranking is 63rd under the movers category, which measures the fastest growing economies in the world.

The country also lagged behind in the heritage category, which measures how much a nation has “shaped history with their culture.” Apparently cultural contributions like Marvel superheroes and Timbiebs aren’t enough because Canada ranked 28th in that category.

Switzerland crushed the 85 countries under open for business, placing first in a category that measures the most business-friendly and market-oriented nations.

The Central European country also proved itself to be more culturally influential than Canada, having what the ranking describes as a certain “je ne sais quoi” when it comes to its fashion, food, and living.

While Canada may not have ranked first, it still left countries like the US, Sweden, and Japan trailing behind.

Here’s the list of the top 10 best countries in the world. You can also see the full rankings here.

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