What Is National Assessment Day?
National Assessment Day is a call to informed civic reflection. Each year on February 27, Americans are invited to examine how the United States measures up against other nations across the domains that matter most — health, education, economy, society, technology, and environment.
We are a great nation with much to be proud of. We are also a nation with real challenges that require honest acknowledgment before they can be addressed. By comparing ourselves to the best-performing countries in the world, we identify not problems to despair over, but opportunities to aspire to.
How It Works
Review the Data
Each year we gather rankings from authoritative international organizations — the UN, WHO, OECD, World Economic Forum, and others — covering dozens of measures across seven categories.
Understand the Trends
Rankings alone tell only part of the story. We track trends over time, note where the U.S. is improving, where it is declining, and put the numbers in context.
Consider the Barriers
Knowing a problem exists is only the start. We identify the political, cultural, and structural barriers that make improvement difficult — so that solutions can be realistic.
Categories We Track
Business & Economy
Competitiveness, corruption, wealth distribution
Education
Literacy, math & science scores, graduation rates
Health
Life expectancy, infant mortality, obesity, spending
Society
Equality, happiness, press freedom, democracy
Military & Peace
Defense spending, arms trade, global peace
Technology & Innovation
Internet speed, R&D, patents, broadband
Environment
Emissions, renewables, environmental performance