‘Best Countries’ report: Middling scores for health cut into US’s bid for overall greatness

A meticulous comparison of quality-of-life factors across 100 countries has yielded good news and bad news for the United States of America.

The good: The U.S. is a powerhouse in the subcategories of culture & tourism (No. 1) and economic development (No. 2).

The bad? We’re a disappointing No. 18 overall—and this owes largely to our mediocre rankings in civic health (No. 41), infrastructure (No. 39) and, yes, general health (No. 33).

The analysis is from U.S. News & World Report, which released its 2026 “Best Countries” list May 13. 

Subtext: Why can’t we be more like them? 

The publication uses a sophisticated mix of metrics to compile the list. 

Earning the highest honors overall are 10 European nations. In order from the top, they are Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom, Finland, Luxembourg and Austria. 

Leading the world in health, meanwhile, are Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland, Japan, Australia, South Korea, Singapore, Sweden and Israel.

U.S. News says this category is based on an equally weighted average of three subcategories—mortality & longevity, public health preparedness and just plain “healthcare.” 

For this the publication considered disease detection, healthcare efficiency, hospital beds per 1,000 residents, out-of-pocket spending, physicians per 1,000 residents and universal health coverage. 

By investing in universal care and cutting-edge research, Iceland and the other health leaders “make it clear that quality medical support should be treated as a right, not a luxury,” the authors assert. “Their focus on healthy life expectancy and universal coverage makes them the gold standard for modern, compassionate living.”

The U.S. is ‘strong but not top-tier’ 

Commenting on the U.S.’s No. 18 overall showing, the authors note the country is a dominant global power yet “still faces domestic challenges, including racial tensions, income inequality and an increasingly polarized electorate.”

National security is a concern, they add, as is the debt “incurred from wars and expenditures on an aging population.”

Further, the U.S. “leads the developed world in deaths due to firearms.”

As for its lackluster finish in the health category, the U.S. faces significant challenges related to public health outcomes, social cohesion and public safety, the authors point out. 

In addition, the U.S. sits at No. 18 in the sublist for public health preparedness—a troubling showing given current worries over a potential hantavirus outbreak. 

Together these shortcomings “weigh heavily” on the country’s overall standing, the authors state.

“In a Best Countries framework that rewards balance across multiple dimensions,” the authors add, “the United States’s combination of world-leading strengths and persistent structural gaps results in a ranking that is strong but not top-tier.”

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