Prosperity Index

I've spent an interesting half hour viewing the Legatum Institute's Prosperity Index for 2011. Overall the UK maintains its 13th position as per 2009 and 2010. Some of the constituent rankings make interesting reading though.

On the Economy, for instance, the UK is ranked at 21, although its 2011 score is above that for 2009 and, especially, 2010. Downsides are the high rate of unemployment (rank 58) and low savings rate (one of the lowest 30 gross domestic savings rates). On the upside it is 12th for affordability of food and shelter and in the top 15 for individuals' satisfaction with their standard of living.

Interestingly on Entrepreneurship and Opportunity the UK comes in 4th. This is despite Britons perceiving the entrepreneurial environment to be below average.

Education at 19th and Health at 17th could be better.

It's fascinating stuff. One might not agree with the methodology but it's worth a little time perusing the data. And be thankful if you don't live in one of the countries at the bottom end of the scale (CAR, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia).