# Countries Making Social Progress? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 28, 2023, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-making-social-progress/984699 "2023-05-28T14:54:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2023, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-making-social-progress/984699/1 "2023-05-28T14:54:05Z")
Wondering what Dopers thought about this list of 170 countries showing most have made social progress over the last few decades? If it has any validity, maybe Hans Rosling was right. But the huge general increase should be treated with skepticism, a lot of the progress seems somewhat cosmetic. > **[How well does your country provide for its citizens?](https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2023/05/24/how-well-does-your-country-provide-for-its-citizens)** > > A global index that attempts to compare people’s well-being across 170 countries ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2023, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-making-social-progress/984699/2 "2023-05-28T15:07:46Z")
I believe that’s behind a paywall. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2023, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-making-social-progress/984699/3 "2023-05-28T15:16:51Z")
The data is taken from this site/organization. The article just puts a paragraph in front of it before listing the results (and I think gives a position change ranking for 1990-2020) > **[Global Index 2022: Results](https://www.socialprogress.org/global-index-2022-results/)** > > We provide decision-makers and everyday citizens with the very best data on the social and environmental health of their societies and help them prioritize actions that accelerate social progress. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2023, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-making-social-progress/984699/4 "2023-05-28T15:20:22Z")
Sorry, could not find a free version. Jophiel has listed the 2022 version which is very similar. Almost every country has jumped 5-20 points in the rankings since 1990. Very few countries went down in score. The US is listed in 31st place. It was in 8th place in 1990. Canada is in 9th place but topped the charts in 1990. Here is a synopsis of the 2022 results. > **[Infographic: Social Progress Index: The Biggest Risers & Fallers](https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/01/countries-social-progress-rising-falling/)** > > This chart shows which countries saw the biggest changes on the Social Progress Index between 2011 and 2022. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2023, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-making-social-progress/984699/5 "2023-05-28T20:09:43Z")
**An excerpt from the link directly above (from 2022).** “_The UK has fallen from 11th rank in the world in 2011 to now standing at 19th and is likely to fall further, dropping into the second subgroup of social progress (out of 6). In terms of rights, it currently places 35th globally, after Chile, the Czech Republic and Barbados, while in terms of discrimination and violence against minorities, the country has fallen from 29th position in 2011 to 93rd globally._ _Although the U.S. has not made it onto the chart, it has stagnated since 2011 and been in decline since 2017 (-0.56). In terms of the interpersonal violence indicator, the country ranks 107th in the world, behind the Republic of Congo, Nicaragua and Sierra Leone, while it is 102nd for violence against minorities, behind South Africa and Poland._ _By contrast, the eight countries on our chart showing the most improvement have all also moved up the ranks. As the report details, these have all been low and lower middle-income countries, including The Gambia, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone. Richer countries have generally improved at a slower rate._ _The Social Progress Index focuses on the non-economic aspects of social performance. A total of 169 countries were analyzed based on complete data under the 12 following indicators: nutrition and basic medical care, water and sanitation, shelter, personal safety, access to basic knowledge, access to information and communications, health and wellness, environmental quality, personal rights, personal freedom and choice, inclusiveness and access to advanced education._” ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2023, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-making-social-progress/984699/6 "2023-05-29T03:00:25Z")
Hmm, thought Kiwiland might have shaded us but there we are ranked at #4 amongst good company.