The country that has spent the last 16 months lecturing Europe about how to live sits at number 36 on the 2025 Prosperity Index. Just a mouse-arm’s inflammation above Russia. Sandwiched between Poland and Israel, two spots ahead of Hungary, and a comfortable distance behind Croatia.
Let that sink in while JD Vance is warming up his next speech about European decline.
Every single country from number one down to number twenty-five is either European, or a nation built on European foundations. Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden. The top four. Not a MAGA hat in sight. The United Kingdom, which according to certain Fox News contributors is an unrecognisable warzone where law-abiding citizens are fed to the wolves the moment they land at Heathrow, sits at a very comfortable number 26. Ten places above the self-proclaimed leader of the free world.
Slovenia beats America. Estonia beats America. Lithuania beats America. Latvia beats America. These are countries that were behind the Iron Curtain within living memory.
And yet here we are, being told by the people around Trump, Vance and Rubio that Europe has something to learn from Washington. About prosperity. About governance. About how to run a country.
Number 36.
Two above Russia. Seventeen below Slovenia. Just ahead of Israel and Hungary, which is basically the international hall of fame for countries that have lost the plot.
The data is not complicated. Europe is not declining. America is just falling down the list.
Prosperity Index 2025
1. Norway🇳🇴
2. Denmark🇩🇰
3. Iceland🇮🇸
4. Sweden🇸🇪
5. Ireland🇮🇪
6. Switzerland🇨🇭
7. Belgium🇧🇪
8. Finland🇫🇮
9. Netherlands🇳🇱
10. Slovenia🇸🇮
11. Luxembourg🇱🇺
12. Germany🇩🇪
13. Czechia🇨🇿
14. Australia🇦🇺
15. Malta🇲🇹
16. New Zealand🇳🇿
17. Austria🇦🇹
18. Cyprus🇨🇾
19. Canada🇨🇦
20. Estonia🇪🇪
21. Singapore🇸🇬
22. Japan🇯🇵
23. Spain🇪🇸
24. France🇫🇷
25. Taiwan🇹🇼
26. UK🇬🇧
27. Slovakia🇸🇰
28. Italy🇮🇹
29. Lithuania🇱🇹
30. Korea🇰🇷
31. Latvia🇱🇻
32. Greece🇬🇷
33. Portugal🇵🇹
34. Croatia🇭🇷
35. Poland🇵🇱
36. USA🇺🇸
37. Israel🇮🇱
38. Hungary🇭🇺
39. UAE🇦🇪
40. Uruguay🇺🇾
41. Romania🇷🇴
42. Argentina🇦🇷
47. Kazakhstan🇰🇿
48. Chile🇨🇱
52. Costa Rica🇨🇷
55. Serbia🇷🇸
59. Ukraine🇺🇦
62. Russia🇷🇺
64. Thailand🇹🇭
66. Malaysia🇲🇾
68. Saudi Arabia🇸🇦
70. Türkiye🇹🇷
73. Brazil🇧🇷
75. Ecuador🇪🇨
80. Mexico🇲🇽
82. Mongolia🇲🇳
85. China🇨🇳
86. Peru🇵🇪
89. Iran🇮🇷
91. Colombia🇨🇴
93. Egypt🇪🇬
94. Venezuela🇻🇪
97. Bolivia🇧🇴
99. Paraguay🇵🇾
100. Philippines🇵🇭
102. El Salvador🇸🇻
105. Indonesia🇮🇩
111. Bangladesh🇧🇩
114. India🇮🇳
115. South Africa🇿🇦
116. Honduras🇭🇳
121. Guatemala🇬🇹
122. Pakistan🇵🇰
123. Kenya🇰🇪
132. Tanzania🇹🇿
136. Nigeria🇳🇬
141. Zimbabwe🇿🇼
145. Rwanda🇷🇼
150. Haiti🇭🇹
154. Afghanistan🇦🇫
164. South Sudan🇸🇸
@AtlanticCouncil