HelloSafe Global Prosperity Index 2025

HelloSafe Global Prosperity Index 2025

For the first time in 2025, HelloSafe unveils its Global Prosperity Index, which ranks 186 countries using a set of economic, social, and environmental development indicators. The goal is to go beyond rankings based solely on crude wealth metrics such as GDP or GNI. The result is an original and exclusive ranking that highlights the growing challenges linked to development inequalities across our planet.

A closer look at the 30 most prosperous countries in the world

The results of the HelloSafe Prosperity Index show that the 20 most prosperous countries are largely dominated by European nations, with Luxembourg in first place (86.2), followed by Norway (85.1) and Ireland (84.7).

This ranking reflects the economic strength of these nations, combined with high scores in human development and income equality. Qatar and Singapore stand out as the only non-European countries in the top five, confirming their dynamic economies and advanced infrastructure. The United States and Canada rank 18th and 19th, while France rounds out the top 20 with a score of 60.4, illustrating a high level of prosperity, although lower than that of Northern Europe and some fast-growing Asian economies.

Full ranking of the most prosperous countries in Europe: France ranks 14th

The European results of the HelloSafe Prosperity Index show a ranking dominated by Western and Northern European countries, with Luxembourg (86.20), Norway (85.09), and Ireland (84.72) at the top. These scores reflect strong economies, high living standards, and relatively balanced wealth distribution.

Nordic countries, including Iceland (77.04) and Denmark (72.96), confirm their prosperity thanks to a combination of economic strength and high human development. France ranks 14th with a score of 60.36, reflecting solid prosperity, albeit more moderate compared to the leading countries.

Conversely, Eastern European and Balkan countries such as 🇲🇩 Moldova (36.99), 🇲🇰 North Macedonia (38.46), and 🇦🇱 Albania (38.52) appear among the lowest-ranked European countries. This highlights the significant economic and social challenges that persist in these regions and underscores the gap in overall prosperity between Western and Eastern Europe.

Top 10 most prosperous countries in Africa: Mauritius, Seychelles, and Algeria lead

According to the HelloSafe Prosperity Index, the most prosperous African countries are Mauritius (41.05), Seychelles (40.77), and Algeria (40.36). These countries stand out for relatively high levels of prosperity on the continent, driven in part by greater economic stability, higher GDP per capita, and more advanced human development.

Libya (33.84) and Egypt (33.24) follow, despite significant socio-economic challenges, supported by natural resources and historical developments that contribute to their relative prosperity. In sub-Saharan Africa, Botswana (27.35) and Gabon (32.20) also show respectable scores, backed by more stable management of their natural resources.

This ranking highlights the contrasts between the continent’s most stable economies and countries facing stronger economic headwinds, revealing a sharp disparity in prosperity levels between North African states and several sub-Saharan economies.

Top 10 most prosperous countries in Latin America

In Latin America, the leading countries in the HelloSafe Prosperity Index are Chile (43.19 points), Uruguay (42.48 points), and Panama (40.36 points). These countries show relatively high levels of stability and effective public policies that support better quality of life for their citizens.

Mexico, ranked 7th in the region with 33.22 points, trails behind other countries such as Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic. This suggests that, although it is one of the region’s largest economies, Mexico still faces structural challenges that limit its progress on several development indicators.

Top 10 most prosperous countries in Asia: Gulf nations and Singapore in the lead

The ranking of Asian countries in the HelloSafe Prosperity Index highlights the dominance of Gulf nations and advanced East Asian economies. At the top, Qatar and Singapore stand out with very high levels of wealth, political stability, and modern infrastructure.

The United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Brunei follow closely, benefiting from substantial energy-related revenues. Bahrain and Saudi Arabia reinforce this trend by combining economic reforms and gradual opening. Outside the oil sector, Israel, Hong Kong, and South Korea show strong prosperity built on technological innovation, high-quality education, and a high standard of living.

This snapshot illustrates a “two-speed” Asia: on one side, diversified economic powerhouses; on the other, rentier states heavily reliant on energy resources for their prosperity.

Methodology

Study objective

The HelloSafe Prosperity Index has been designed to provide a comparative measure of countries’ prosperity, taking into account a combination of economic and social factors. Unlike rankings based solely on GDP, our index integrates social indicators such as the Human Development Index (HDI) and the Gini coefficient, which reflect quality of life and income equity within each country.

Indicators have been weighted according to their impact on overall prosperity. For example, GDP per capita is weighted at 30%, as it remains a key indicator of a country’s overall level of wealth. GNI per capita complements this perspective with a 20% weight, capturing foreign income flows and the total resources available to citizens. Finally, social indicators such as HDI and the Gini coefficient strengthen the index by reflecting quality of life (20%) and income inequality (15%), both of which directly influence population well-being.

Indicators used

The index is built on six indicators, each with its own weight, to produce a score out of 100 representing a country’s overall prosperity. Below is the detailed list of indicators, their sources, and the weighting applied:

Data were primarily collected from the World Bank and UNDP, which provide standardized and widely recognized information. For countries where data were missing from these sources, alternative figures were sourced from reliable national statistics whenever possible.

Reading and interpreting the results

In this section, the HelloSafe Prosperity Index results are interpreted using the six indicators above. By ranking countries according to their level of prosperity, the index reveals global trends and disparities. Categories range from countries with very low prosperity to those with very high prosperity, helping contextualize scores and assess the socio-economic challenges each country faces.

This analytical framework helps identify the strengths and weaknesses of different nations, while highlighting how crucial it is to align economic and social dimensions to foster sustainable and inclusive development.

• Below 30 – Countries with very low prosperity: These countries face extremely precarious economic and social conditions, with low GDP per capita, high poverty rates, and often marked inequalities. Basic infrastructure such as healthcare and education is typically inadequate.
• Between 30 and 40 – Countries with low prosperity: These countries show some degree of economic development but still struggle with low living standards and low HDI. Income inequality and poverty are common, and their capacity to generate and distribute wealth remains limited.
• Between 40 and 50 – Countries with intermediate prosperity: This group includes developing countries that are making significant economic and social progress. Although poverty and inequalities persist, access to basic services is improving and living standards are relatively stable.
• Between 50 and 60 – Countries with high prosperity: These countries benefit from high living standards and education levels, solid infrastructure, and relatively fair resource distribution. Their level of prosperity supports sustained socio-economic development.
• Above 60 – Countries with very high prosperity: These countries have dynamic, diversified economies, high living standards, low poverty rates, and moderate inequality. They are among the most prosperous in the world, with strong savings capacity and high investment in their citizens’ well-being.

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

All countries for which at least 90% of the required data were available were included in the HelloSafe Prosperity Index. When essential data such as GDP per capita or HDI were missing and could not be supplemented from alternative sources, the country was excluded from the index.

For example, countries such as Cuba and North Korea are not included in the ranking due to a lack of complete, reliable data for several key indicators.

Study limitations

• Data availability: In some countries, data for specific indicators (especially the Gini coefficient and poverty rate) may be outdated or incomplete. Despite using alternative sources where possible, this may affect the accuracy of the ranking.
• Comparability of indicators: Differences in poverty thresholds and income levels between countries can complicate international comparisons, particularly for indicators such as the poverty rate.
• Fixed weighting: The weights assigned to indicators are based on an analysis of their relative importance, but they remain fixed across all countries. In practice, the relevance of each indicator may vary depending on each country’s socio-economic context.

List of countries not included in this study

The following countries were excluded from the scope of this study due to the lack of sufficient, reliable data: 🇦🇩 Andorra, 🇰🇵 North Korea, 🇨🇺 Cuba, 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein, 🇲🇨 Monaco, 🇸🇸 South Sudan, 🇹🇼 Taiwan.

Conclusion and use cases

The HelloSafe Prosperity Index offers a richer view of countries’ overall prosperity by integrating both key economic and social indicators. This ranking is a valuable tool for travelers, investors, policymakers, and researchers seeking to understand differences in prosperity between countries, and it stands out through its multidimensional approach.

By shedding light on both wealth creation and how that wealth is shared, the index helps identify which countries are not only rich, but also capable of translating that wealth into tangible improvements in quality of life for their populations.