According to U.S. News & World Report’s annual evaluation, Canada is ranked as the top country overall for 2021.
Since the yearly Best Countries evaluation was first launched six years ago, Canada was ranked second overall in 2016, 2017, and 2018. It later took third place in 2019 and moved to second place in 2020.
Canada was also rated the best country for quality of life in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021.
The high standard of living in Canada and many opportunities that are available attract over 400,000 people to apply for Canadian immigration each year.
The World’s Top 10 Best Countries for 2021:
Editor’s Choice
Research Methods
This global assessment was produced through the collaborative efforts of BAV Group, the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, and US News & World Report.
BAV Group created the model that was utilized to calculate the scores for each country on different factors and to rank them.
Over 17,000 individuals participated in the worldwide survey, which evaluated perceptions about 78 countries based on 76 factors that were grouped into 10 major categories.
Each of the countries received a score on a scale of 0-100 and a comparative ranking for each of the 10 major categories, as well as an overall score.
The 10 major categories were: Adventure, Agility, Cultural Influence, Entrepreneurship, Heritage, Movers, Open for Business, Power, Quality of Life, and Social Purpose.
Survey Results
Canada was ranked #1 with a perfect score of 100% for Quality of Life and Social Purpose.
Quality of Life was based on: a good Canadian job market; political stability; economic stability; family-friendliness; an education system that is well-developed; a healthcare system that is well-developed; safety; income equality; and affordability.
Evaluation of Social Purpose was determined by: caring about human rights; racial equality; social justice commitment; political power that is distributed well; gender equality; property rights being respected; trustworthiness; freedom of religion; caring about the environment; dedication to climate goals; and caring about the rights of animals.
In regards to being Open for Business and having Agility, Canada was ranked #3 in the world for both of these major categories.
The Open for Business category was assessed based on: not being corrupt; not being bureaucratic; having government practices that are transparent; having a tax environment that is favorable; and offering inexpensive manufacturing costs.
Agility was defined by: adaptability; progressiveness; responsiveness; and being dynamic.
Canada came in 6th place in the world for Entrepreneurship, which was evaluated based on having an educated population (Canada has the highest percentage of adults with a post-secondary education); business practices that are transparent; connection with the rest of the world; infrastructure that is well-developed; a legal system that is well-developed; easily accessible capital; a skilled work force; being entrepreneurial; fostering innovation; and possessing technological expertise.
In regards to Power, Canada is ranked #12 among the 78 countries that were assessed, based on strong international alliances; economic influence; leadership; political influence; robust exports; and military strength.
When it comes to Cultural Influence, Canada is ranked #14, particularly since it is a modern, prestigious country and there is a high level of happiness among Canadian residents, but also because it is trendy, fashionable, has strong consumer brands, there is culturally significant entertainment, and it has cultural influence.
Canada was ranked 19th in the world for Adventure, since it is a friendly and beautiful country that attracts tourists from around the globe, and there are many fun activities available, although it did not score as highly for its climate or for being a “sexy” country.
The two lowest rankings that Canada received were for the Heritage and Movers categories.
Canada is a relatively young country, so it is not surprising that it did not rate as highly for Heritage, which was assessed based on offering many geographic attractions; having access to culture; offering many cultural attractions; having great food; or boasting a rich history.
Canada was ranked #45 out of 78 countries for being a Mover, which was based on being dynamic, distinctive, unique and different.
It should be noted that the 10 major categories and the 76 factors were weighted differently in terms of their influence on the overall ranking.
Agility accounted for 14.18 percent of the overall ranking score; Entrepreneurship was 14.16 percent; Quality of Life was 13.88 percent; Movers was 13.87 percent; Social Purpose was 12.23 percent; Cultural Influence was 10.45 percent; Open for Business was 9.42 percent; Power was 6.09 percent; Adventure was 3.79 percent; and Heritage was only 1.93 percent.
Additionally, the data collected from this large global survey was used to rank countries on other issues.
For example, Canada was rated as the 2nd Best Country for Racial Equality (after Netherlands); 2nd Best Country for Transparency (after Denmark); 4th Best Country for Women (after Sweden, Denmark and Norway); the 4th Best Country for Education (after the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany); the 5th Best Country to Raise Children (after Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Netherlands); and the 6th Best Country for Comfortable Retirement (after Switzerland, New Zealand, Australia, Spain, and Portugal).
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Canadian Immigration
In conclusion, Canada is a great place to live, work, study, raise a family, start a business, live in freedom, experience equality, retire comfortably and enjoy an overall high quality of life.
This makes Canada a very attractive country for immigrants who are looking for better opportunities in life.
During 2021, a record 405,000 immigrants were able to become permanent residents of Canada through different Canadian immigration programs.
In 2022, Canada’s government announced a goal for this year to grant Canadian permanent residency to a record 431,645 immigrants from around the world, mostly skilled foreign workers and their immediate family members.
The majority of skilled foreign workers immigrate to Canada through the Express Entry system.
In order to apply for Express Entry immigration to Canada, a skilled foreign worker must satisfy the eligibility requirements for one of the qualifying Canadian immigration programs designed for economic immigrants.
The Federal Skilled Worker Program is one of the Canadian immigration programs that qualifies for Express Entry, as is the Federal Skilled Trades Program and the Provincial Nominee Program.
Express Entry immigration to Canada generally involves filing an online Express Entry profile with the Canadian immigration agency and if an Invitation to Apply is given, the skilled immigrant has 60 days to submit the Application for Canadian Permanent Residency.
Thousands of French-speaking foreign workers immigrate to Canada each year through the Quebec Skilled Worker Program, which was created for skilled immigrants who want to live and work in the Canadian province of Quebec.
These are some examples of the major Canadian immigration programs that are available for expat workers and their families.
If you are searching for a new place to call home, where you and your family can enjoy a high quality of life, then you should definitely consider immigration to Canada!
