Study ranks Canada 6th in global prosperity

Nov 3, 2015 | News

By Nick Beare

Canada ranks at the top of the list when it comes to personal freedom according to a study out of the Legatum Institute in London. The annual report ranks 142 countries across eight categories as well as providing a cumulative ranking for overall prosperity.

“Canada has risen to first place in the personal freedom sub-index this year, reflecting high scores in measures of tolerance and civil liberties,” Legatum Institute executive director Sian Hansen said in the report’s foreword.

According to the study:

  • 94 per cent of Canadians believe they have the freedom to choose the course of their lives,
  • 92 per cent of Canadians believe the country is a good place for immigrants,
  • 92 per cent of people think the country is a good place for ethnic minorities.

The issue of immigration and refugee relations became a particularly contentious issue during this summer’s federal election. Prime Minister designate Justin Trudeau, who will be sworn in on Wednesday, has promised to bring 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada by the end of the year.

The Legatum Institute’s 2015 index covers many social and economical categories. See how Canada stacks up against the world: