Beyond German borders and across oceans, a reputation of stability and efficiency persists. Praised for its “entrepreneurship” and “agility” to adopt modern solutions, U.S. News has ranked Germany as the seventh-best country in the world in 2024.

Best countries in the world according to U.S. News

In U.S. News’ annual “Best County” ranking, 87 countries are considered and classed from worst to best. 

To do this, the company uses a proprietary international survey of 17.000 people and evaluates 89 different countries’ performance across more than 73 attributes. 

These are collected under 10 subcategories ranging from entrepreneurship and quality of life to power and heritage. 

For its ninth edition, the ranking focused on countries likely to grow and develop, those with the highest quality of life and with the best conditions for businesses and employees.

Switzerland rated as the best country for the third consecutive year

Taking home the gold for the third consecutive year, Switzerland has been rated as the best country in the world. In fact, the alpine nation has taken first in all but two of the U.S. News rankings since it was created (Germany in 2016 and Canada in 2021). On the podium for 2024, Switzerland was joined by Japan, which went from sixth in 2023 to second, and the US, which ranked fifth last year.

U.S. News wrote that while Switzerland did not place first in any subcategory, its strong all-around performance ensured its place in the top spot. The country’s strongest categories were “Open for Business”, “Quality of Life” and “Entrepreneurship”, coming in second, third and fifth respectively.

The report argued that Switzerland’s dynamic economy, political stability, education system and lower taxes were some of the main reasons for the high score but in other areas, namely affordability, the country ranked near the bottom.

Germany named 7th best country on Earth

Coming in seventh place, Germany scored an overall 90,6 points. The country garnered particular praise for “Entrepreneurship” among countries “seen as innovative with educated and enterprising citizens” and “agile” for being able to “adapt and respond to whatever obstacles it faces”. 

“To do this, a country needs to be efficient in its actions, adopt and accept modern solutions, and progress to meet changing circumstances,” wrote U.S. News.

With the worst housing shortage in 20 years, a train service timetable which has been changed between 2 and 3 million times in 2024 alone to facilitate delays, an immigration office which has been called “nigh dysfunctional” by its own director, a government with rock bottom approval rating and the far-right winning its first-ever state election since WWII, U.S. News’ flattering review may come as a surprise to many international people actually living in Germany.

Its ageing population “raising questions about the high level of spending for social services” was one of the few challenges Germany currently faces which U.S. News acknowledged. Examples of where Germany has made efforts to “adopt and accept modern solutions” to demographic changes such as the Chancenkarte, easing student visa rules or the new citizenship law, were forgotten.

Aside from political and economic achievements, the platform said cultural praise was due to the modern land which has “produced some of the world’s leading figures”, but apparently not since the 18th century, with Gutenberg, Beethoven and Kant cited as the big names.

10 best countries in the world in 2024

In all, here are the 10 best countries in the world, according to U.S. News:

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

For more information about the ranking, check out the official study.

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