Measure |
Category | U.S. Rank |
# of Countries in Study | Score | Source of Information | Year of Data | Importance | Expected Rank Next Year | Notes |
Global Competitiveness | Business | 5 | 142 | 5.43 | World Economic Forum | 2011 | 60 | 5 | U.S. is falling, China at 27th is rising. |
Level of Corruption in Business | Business | 22 | 178 | 7.1 | Transparency International | 2010 | 40 | 23 | Canada is #6, China is #78 |
Number of Billionaires | Business | 1 | 225 | 412 | Forbes Magazine | 2011 | 10 | 1 | China is #2 with 115 |
Percentage of Households that are Millionaires | Business | 7 | 225 | 0.045 | Boston Consulting Group | 2010 | 10 | 7 | Singapore is #1 with 15.5% |
Upper Secondary Graduation rates | Education | 21 | 28 | 0.76 | U.S. Department of Education | 2009 | 80 | 22 | Most OECD countries are doing better than the U.S. |
Math and Science Literacy of 15 year olds | Education | 26 | 34 | 487 | U.S. Department of Education | 2009 | 75 | 27 | Most OECD countries are doing better than the U.S. |
Reading Literacy of 15 year olds | Education | 12 | 34 | 500 | U.S. Department of Education | 2009 | 70 | 13 | . |
Math Literacy | Education | 25 | 65 | 487 | Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development | 2009 | 70 | 26 | #1 China, #23 Hungary |
Science Literacy | Education | 23 | 65 | n/a | Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development | 2009 | 50 | 23 | #1 China, #22 Hungary |
Literacy Rate | Education | 20 | 183 | 99% Literate | United Nations | 2011 | 40 | 20 | 25 Countries have 99%, 19 Countries are above 99% |
Nobel Laureates | Education | 1 | 200 | 333 | NobelPrize.Org | 2011 | 20 | 1 | UK ranks 2nd with 101 laureates |
Human Development Index | Health | 4 | 200 | 0.04 | United Nations | 2011 | 95 | 4 | A great overall indicator of a society. |
Infant mortality rate | Health | 48 | 222 | 6.06 per 1,000 births | CIA World Factbook | 2011 | 90 | 48 | . |
Life expectancy at birth | Health | 50 | 223 | 78.37 years | CIA World Factbook | 2011 | 90 | 50 | . |
Obesity - Adult Prevalance Rate | Health | 65 | 70 | 33.90% are obese | CIA World Factbook | 2006 | 87 | 65 | . |
Money spent on health care as percentage of GDP | Health | 188 | 189 | 0.162 | CIA World Factbook | 2009 | 85 | 189 | . |
Preventable Deaths | Health | 16 | 16 | 96 per 100,000 | Journal of Health Policy | 2011 | 80 | 16 | UK was 2nd worst with 83 per 100,000. France just 56 per 100,000 |
Newborn Death Rates | Health | 41 | 200 | 4.3 per 1000 births | World Health Organization | 2009 | 80 | 45 | . |
Children aged <5 years underweight (%) | Health | 4 | 123 | 0.013 | World Health Organization | 2011 | 70 | 4 | India ranks last, with 43.5% under weight |
Teenage Birth Rate | Health | 28 | 28 | 52.1 per 1,000 | UNICEF | 1998 | 70 | 1 | #2 UK is 30.8 per 1,000 |
Measles immunization coverage among 1-year-olds (%) | Health | 97 | 200 | 0.92 | World Health Organization | 2011 | 60 | 100 | . |
Births attended by skilled health personnel (%) | Health | 1 | 200 | > 99% | World Health Organization | 2011 | 55 | 1 | About 70 countries are tied with the U.S. ranking |
Diabetes Prevalence | Health | 29 | 223 | 0.123 | International Diabetes Federation | 2010 | 55 | 29 | The U.S. has a higher prevalence of diabetes than most countries. |
Doctors use of Technology | Health | 7 | 7 | 0.46 | Commonwealth Fund International Health Policy Survey | 2010 | 40 | 7 | All countries above 90% except U.S. and Canada |
Drug Use among Citizens | Health | 1 | 17 | 42% have used cannabis, 16% cocaine | World Health Organization | 2008 | 25 | 1 | Only 17 countries in study |
World's Largest Arms Exporters | Military | 1 | 225 | $8.6 Billion | Stockholm International Peace Research Institute | 2010 | 88 | 1 | . |
Military Expenditure by Nation | Military | 1 | 225 | $698 Billion | Stockholm International Peace Research Institute | 2010 | 85 | 1 | . |
Global Peace Index | Military | 82 | 153 | 2.063 | Stockholm International Peace Research Institute | 2011 | 80 | 80 | Iceland is #1, China is #80 |
World's Largest Arms Importers | Military | 5 | 225 | $893 Million | Stockholm International Peace Research Institute | 2010 | 70 | 6 | . |
% Living in Poverty | Society | 31 | 149 | 0.151 | CIA World Factbook | 2010 | 80 | 34 | France 6.2%, Mexico is 18.2% |
Homicides per 100,000 People | Society | 78 | 121 | 5.6 | United Nations Development Programme | 2004 | 70 | 80 | Japan ranked #4 with 0.5 homicides per 100,000 |
Quality of Infrastructure | Society | 23 | 139 | 5.8 | International Telecommunication Union | 2011 | 30 | 25 | Switzerland is #1, Spain is #22, Chile is #24 |
Organic Water Polluters | Society | 15 | 16 | 2.5 million kg per day | World Bank | 1998 | 25 | 15 | China pollutes twice as much as the U.S. |
Happiest | Society | 16 | 98 | 3.55 | National Science Foundation | 2007 | 20 | 16 | Puerto Rico #2 |
Human Poverty Index | Society | 17 | 19 | 15.4 | United Nations | 2008 | 20 | 18 | . |
Death Penalty Executions | Society | 150 | 154 | 46 executed | Amnesty International | 2010 | 20 | 150 | 1.5 per 10 million citizens, China killed more than 5,000 |
Tech Productivity | Technology | 5 | 10 | 5 | World Economic Forum | 2010 | 60 | 6 | Sweden is #1, Singapore is #2 |
Internet Speed | Technology | 26 | 224 | 4.93 mbps | Pando Networks | 2011 | 50 | 25 | #1 South Korea is 17.62 mbps |
Mobile Phones in Use | Technology | 3 | 59 | 327 million | Wikipedia | 2011 | 20 | 3 | US has more phones than people. China is #1 |