The
Legatum Prosperity Index is an annual ranking developed by the
Legatum Institute of 104 countries, according to a variety of factors including wealth, economic growth, personal wellbeing, and quality of life.
Finland topped the list of the 2009 report.
The 2008 Legatum Prosperity Index Report
Methodology
The 2009 Legatum Prosperity Index is based on 79 different variables analysed across 104 nations around the world. Source data includes ,
WTO,
World Development Indicators,
GDP,
World Intellectual Property Organization, UN
Human Development Report,
World Bank,
OECD,
World Values Survey. The 79 variables are grouped into 9 sub-indexes which are averaged using equal weights. The 9 sub-indexes are:
- Entrepreneurship and Innovation
For example, Personal Freedom includes freedom of speech and religion, national tolerance for immigrants and ethnic and racial minorities. The Social Capital sub-index includes the percentage of citizens who volunteer, give to charity, help strangers, and who feel they can rely on family and friends.
Oxford Analytica is Legatum's research partner for the Prosperity Index and contributed the methodology and analysis.
Detailed information about the 2009 Legatum Prosperity Index, the rankings and methodology are available at .
2009 Rankings
| Top 30 |
1. |
6. |
11. |
16. |
21. |
26. |
2. |
7. |
12. |
17. |
22. |
27. |
3. |
8. |
13. |
18. |
23. |
27. |
4. |
9. |
14. |
19. |
24. |
29. |
5. |
10. |
15. |
20. |
25. |
30. |
| Bottom 20 |
85. |
90. |
95. |
100. |
86. |
91. |
96. |
101. |
87. |
92. |
97. |
101. |
88. |
93. |
98. |
103. |
89. |
94. |
99. |
104. |
2008 Rankings
| Top 30 |
1. |
6. |
11. |
16. |
21. |
26. |
2. |
7. |
12. |
17. |
22. |
27. |
3. |
8. |
13. |
18. |
23. |
28. |
4. |
9. |
14. |
19. |
24. |
29. |
5. |
10. |
15. |
20. |
25. |
30. |
| Bottom 20 |
85. |
90. |
95. |
100. |
86. |
91. |
96. |
101. |
87. |
92. |
97. |
102. |
88. |
93. |
98. |
103. |
89. |
94. |
99. |
104. |
Legatum Institute
The Legatum Institute, the publisher of the index, is a privately-funded think-tank founded in 2007 and located in
Mayfair,
London. It is funded by the Legatum Group, which includes Legatum Capital, a portfolio investment fund manager; Legatum Ventures a double-bottom line investment fund, the Legatum Foundation, a philanthropic organisation; and the Legatum Center for Development And Entrepreneurship at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a collaboration with MIT that funds graduate student entrepreneurs from developing markets.
Personnel
The Prosperity Index is reviewed and critiqued (although not necessarily endorsed
in toto) by an advisory panel of academics and scholars representing a range of disciplines and includes:
Dr. Terry Babcock-Lumish (
University of Oxford); Dr.
Daniel Drezner (
Tufts University); Dr.
Peter Feaver (
Duke University); Dr. Carol Graham (
Brookings Institution); Dr. Robert Jensen (
University of California, Los Angeles); Dr.
Stephen Krasner (
Stanford University); Dr.
Michael Kremer (
Harvard University); Dr. Philip Levy (
American Enterprise Institute); Dr. Edmund Malesky (
University of California, San Diego); Dr. Ann Owen (
Hamilton College); Dr.
Robert Putnam (
Harvard University); Dr. Allan Stam (
University of Michigan).
One of the main authors of the 2007 report,
Will Inboden, was a senior white-house official in the administration of
George W. Bush.
, a senior fellow at the instute,, was the director of HUD's
Center for Faith Based and Community Initiatives in the same administration.
