Switzerland has been named the fourth most prosperous nation on Earth for 2024 by the latest Prosperity Index from HelloSafe. The alpine nation was propelled to the top of the order thanks to its world-beating living standards and strong economy.

HelloSafe Prosperity Index for 2024

Using data from the World Bank and the United Nations, HelloSafe ranked all but a few countries around the world by how rich and prosperous they are. In this case, prosperity was measured through the following indicators:

• GDP per capita: Highlights national wealth and economic output.
• GNI per capita: Calculates disposable income and the salaries of residents.
• Gross national savings rate: Reflects whether a country can save money for the future.
• Human Development Index: Shows a nation’s life expectancy, quality of education and quality of life.
• Gini coefficient: Details a nation’s income inequality.
• Poverty rate: Outlines the proportion of the population living below the poverty line.

Each nation was given a weighted score in each category, which was then combined into an overall score of 100. For reference, any nation with a score above 60 is considered to be very highly prosperous with a “diversified economy, a high standard of living, a low poverty rate and moderate inequality.”

This year, the nation of Luxembourg was rated as the richest and most prosperous country on Earth with a score of 86,2. Norway (85,09) and Ireland (84,72) rounded out the podium places, with HelloSafe noting that each of them showcased “economic strength” and “high scores in human development and income equality.”

Switzerland the fourth most prosperous nation on Earth

Coming just outside the top three in fourth place was Switzerland scoring 81,17 points. The alpine nation was propelled to the top spots thanks to its strong economy and wealth ratings, and the fact that it placed first in the most recent Human Development Index.

HelloSafe noted that nations in western Europe like Switzerland benefit from “robust economies”, high salaries and a reasonable distribution of wealth. High levels of quality of life and overall development were also some of the main drivers of their success.

European nations remain the world's wealthiest

For 2024, the top of the ranking was dominated by Europe; Qatar in fifth and Singapore in sixth were the only non-European countries in the top 10. In terms of Switzerland’s neighbours, Germany took 13th in the world with 66,80 points, Austria placed 14th with 66,43, France ranked 20th with 60,36 and Italy was further down the order with a score of 56,80 points.

By contrast, Mozambique was rated as the poorest country in the world for 2024, followed by Swaziland and Madagascar. These countries were said to have “extremely difficult socioeconomic conditions…poverty and limited infrastructure.”

10 richest countries of 2024 revealed

In all, here are the 10 most prosperous countries on Earth for 2024, according to HelloSafe

1. Luxembourg (86,2)
2. Norway (85,1)
3. Ireland (84,7)
4. Switzerland (81,2)
5. Qatar (80,5)
6. Singapore (77,4)
7. Iceland (77)
8. Denmark (73)
9. The Netherlands (71,1)
10. Belgium (68,3)

For more information about the study, check out the HelloSafe website.