GDP is No Longer Enough: Introducing the Prosperity Index 2026
The traditional measure of a country's economic performance, GDP, is no longer sufficient. This is the central message of a new ranking published by HelloSafe, an international financial comparison platform.
A New Approach to Measuring Prosperity
To overcome the biases of traditional indicators, HelloSafe has developed the Prosperity Index 2026, a ranking of over 50 economies based on five official indicators from the IMF, World Bank, UNDP, and OECD. These indicators produce a unique score out of 100, providing a more comprehensive picture of a country's prosperity. The five criteria used are:
- GDP per capita
- Gross National Income (GNI)
- Human Development Index (HDI)
- Income inequality
- Relative poverty rate
Why a New Methodology is Needed
The reason for this methodological choice is that GDP can be misleading. Ireland is a perfect example: its GDP per capita exceeds $150,000 in purchasing power parity, but a large part of this wealth is generated by multinational companies like Apple, Google, or Pfizer, rather than by Irish households themselves.
Europe Dominates the Global Ranking
The results of the Prosperity Index 2026 show that Europe is home to the most prosperous countries in the world. The top 5 countries are:
- Norway: with a score of 77.65/100, thanks to the highest GNI in the world and a well-balanced social model.
- Ireland: with a score of 75.06, despite its high GDP per capita, which is largely driven by multinational companies.
- Luxembourg: with a score of 74.39, which has been relegated to third place for the first time since the index was created.
- Switzerland: with a score of 73.92
- Iceland: with a score of 73.85, which has the highest HDI in the world and a relative poverty rate of only 5%.
These results confirm that the small countries of Northern Europe are better at combining economic performance and social equity than any other region. Outside of Europe, the United States ranks 17th, reflecting its economic power but also its high income inequality and relative poverty. France ranks 20th.
