London-based Legatum Institute’s Prosperity Index 2013 has ranked Israel 39th globally. The Legatum Prosperity Index is an annual ranking, developed by the Legatum Institute, of 142 countries.
The prosperity index is made up of several categories, calculated from surveys answered by citizens of states in the index. Israel is ranked 25th in education, 8 places up from 2012. In economy it ranked 32nd, 31st in entrepreneurship, 28th in government, and 33rd in health. Israel ranked 3rd in the Mideast – after the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait and ahead of Saudi Arabia and Morocco. Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon , Egypt and Syria are much lower on the list, and Iran ranked in the 101 place.
The Safety & Security sub-index dropped by nine places to 113th, due to an increase in property stolen and state sponsored violence, and a decrease in the perception of being able feel safe walking home alone at night. The Social Capital sub-index increased by eight places, to 19th, due to an increase in the willingness to help strangers, at high levels of being able to rely on others, and high donation rates.
Traditionally, a nation’s prosperity has been based solely on macroeconomic indicators such as a country’s income, represented either by GDP or by average income per person (GDP per capita). However, most people would agree that prosperity is more than just the accumulation of material wealth, it is also the joy of everyday life and the prospect of being able to build an even better life in the future.
The Prosperity Index is distinctive in that it is the only global measurement of prosperity based on both income and wellbeing.
