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News and World Report

This was one of the findings of the 2016 Best Countries rankings, produced by the US News & World Report in collaboration with brand strategy firm BAV Consulting and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. It sampled the perceptions of more than 16,000 people in four global regions, with participants asked to associate 60 nations based on 24 categories.

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On Wednesday they released the results and the numbers showed that Germany is considered to be the best country in the world.

The U.S. was first in power and influence, while Germany was best for entrepreneurship.

The UK was also named as the country with the best standard of education, followed by Canada in second place and the United States in third place.

According to US News & World Report, a set of 65 country attributes were identified.

Canada also scored high for its stunning wilderness, earning high points for being scenic (we strongly agree) and having a pleasant climate (we’re not sure every Canadian would agree with that). Of those, more than 8,000 were “informed elites” (college-educated, middle or upper-class individuals).

This Nordic country that has much in common with Canada is highly regarded for its progressive politics and tops the rankings in most categories. The rest belonged to the general public. Other top rankings include Brazil for adventure; Luxembourg for opening a business; France for cultural influence; Germany for entrepreneurship; Canada for quality of life; Italy for heritage; and India for its up-and-coming economy.

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Scores in each category were then weighted based on correlation with widespread prosperity, measured using the International Monetary Fund’s 2014 per capita gross domestic product purchasing power parity. Singapore is the only Asian country to feature on top at the 15th place, followed by Spain and China at 16th and 17th.

Union Jack flag in a sandcastle on a beach Wells next the sea Norfolk England beach