Canada plummets in ‘best country’ ranking

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Canada has fallen more than a dozen spots in a “best countries” list, sinking one place below the United States.

U.S. News released its Best Countries rankings for 2025, and Canada placed 19th out of 100 nations.

At first glance, making the Top 20 is nothing to sneeze at, but given Canada once topped the list not too long ago, it’s quite the rude awakening.

In 2021, Canada was No. 1, fell to third the following year, moved back up to second in 2023, then placed fourth in 2024.

But tumbling 15 spots is a bit of a shock. Or is it?

The list factors in eight metrics: Governance, health, infrastructure, natural environment, opportunity, civic health, culture and tourism, and economic development.

Canada’s governance ranked 18th. While government effectiveness, inflation volatility, passport strength, rule of law and lack of political violence scored high, our country’s tax system and government debt dragged us down.

Meanwhile, Canada’s infrastructure ranked 20th, earning a perfect score for electricity access while scoring poorly on renewable electricity and grid access.

Canada’s economic development fell to 21st, with GDP productivity ranking particularly low.

Canada’s highest ranking was in culture and tourism at eighth, while opportunity came in at 18th.

The country ranked 27th in both health and civic health.

While Canada earned a perfect score for universal health coverage and ranked highly in infant mortality and life expectancy, its overall health score was dragged down by a lack of physicians and hospital beds.

Canada’s lowest ranking was for its natural environment, placing 63rd largely due to high carbon emissions.

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The Top 10 best countries on the list were all in Europe.

In order, they are Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, United Kingdom, Finland, Luxembourg and Austria.