To rank higher on the Social Progress Index, we need to improve our “environmental quality,” “health and wellness,” and “personal safety” numbers.
Though the United States is one of the richest countries in the world, it’s not necessarily one of the most successful. When you take a broad view of social progress—incorporating measures of health, happiness, the environment, and levels of security—we’re actually down the list of big hitters. Nations such as Sweden and the Netherlands have broader-based prosperity and better access to services like health care and housing.
