The Social Capital of a nation is the extent of social stability and the well-being of the entire population. Social Capital demands social cohesion and a certain level of consensus, which in turn delivers a stable environment for the economy, and prevents natural resources from being over-exploited. Social Capital is the combination of individual human capital, communal wellbeing, security, freedom, and equality.
In addition to local historical and cultural influences, the social consensus in a society is affected by several factors: health care systems and their universal availability/affordability (measuring physical health); educational levels and their contribution to crime (measuring social health and the ability to assess the future generational balance within a society); freedom of expression and freedom from fear; and the absence of violent conflicts. Only in these circumstances can the economy flourish, generate value, jobs and income for the population.
Strong social capital drives sustainable economic growth and long-term stability
Bottom Line: Countries with high social capital scores provide more stable, predictable, and profitable environments for long-term investment and business operations.
Key clusters to measure social cohesion and well-being
Evaluation of the quality of health care systems based on performance indicators
Analysis of the current population health against health statistics
Availability and level of gender opportunities and equality across all social, educational and economic aspects
Level of income and wealth distribution and equality across the economy
Evaluation of security performance indicators for the citizens of a country
Evaluation of individual freedoms, including political, economic, social and religion
A global snapshot of social capital performance and trends
The top rankings in the Social Capital Dimension are almost entirely occupied by European Nations from the North and the West
The United Arab Emirates has significantly increased performance across a number of clusters, including health care availability, general health, low crime rates, and the availability of public services. Japan on 7 is the 3rd country inside the top 30 that is not a European nation
Timor-Leste tops the social capital index despite a very low nominal GDP and a marginal health care system compared to developed nations. However, the country scores high in general population health, equality and indicators related to social consensus
The US is ranked alarmingly low (177) in social capital, due to low performance in affordability (and accessibility) of health care, below-average health indicators, high crime rates, and rising inequality. The continuously deteriorating social capital score could have served as early warning sign to a deteriorating overall sustainable competitiveness
Most African nations, particularly within the Sahel zone, still face challenges in healthcare provision and human rights, and safety, explaining below average African performance in social capital, with, unfortunately, only marginally improving performance
China ranks 55, India 107, and Brazil 186 in Social Capital, demonstrating varied approaches to social development across major emerging economies
Explore how countries compare across social capital indicators
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Discover how Social Capital connects with Natural, Economic, Intellectual, and Governance Capital
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