Nigeria and some countries in Africa and Asia are ranked among the worst performers in a new global index that ranks countries by social and environmental performance rather than economic output in a drive to make social progress a priority for politicians and businesses.

The Social Progress Index rates 132 countries on more than 50 indicators, including health, sanitation, shelter, personal safety, access to information, sustainability, tolerance and inclusion and access to education.

New Zealand came first in the new global index. Chad ranked last, below Central African Republic, Burundi, Guinea, Sudan, Angola, Niger, Yemen, Pakistan and Nigeria.

According to Reuters, the SPI asks questions such as whether a country can satisfy its people’s basic needs and whether it has the infrastructure and capacity to allow its citizens to improve the quality of their lives and reach their full potential.

“The index shows that economic growth does not automatically lead to social progress,” the Executive Director, SPI, a non-profit organisation that publishes the index, Mr. Michael Green, told Thomson Reuters Foundation.

“If we are to tackle problems such as poverty and inequality, it shows that measuring economic growth alone is not enough.”

New Zealand received high scores for personal rights and freedom, internet access and school enrolment. It was followed in the top 10 by Switzerland, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Canada, Finland, Denmark and Australia.

Source: Punch