Social Progress Index rates the United States number 28 in 163 countries. That is in the top 17 percent but I always thought we were the top, exceptional over all the nations of the world. In 2015 we were number 16 in 156 countries or the top 10 percent. Times are changing.

Follows is a summary of the Social Progress Index for the US:*

Basic Human Needs: we rate in the high 90s except for personal safety we are at 73

Foundations of Wellness: we rate in the low 90s except for Health and Wellness at 75 and Environmental Quality 72

Opportunity: we rate in the low 90s  except inclusiveness we are at 61

Wow! We have a lot of work to do according to this report.

*The tab takes you to Norway –click the down arrow and select the United States

The scorecard highlights a country’s relative strengths and relative weaknesses compared to 15 peer countries with a similar GDP per capita. Elements of the Social Progress Index are marked with a blue dot where the country performs comparatively well, a red dot where it performs relatively poorly, a yellow dot where its performance is average for its peer group, and a gray dot when there isn’t sufficient data to make a judgment. Elements marked with a blue ring are areas where the country slightly over-performs while areas where the country slightly under-performs are marked with a red ring. For information on how scorecards are calculated, please consult the methodology report.