According to the Best Countries List from U.S. News & Word Report and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, for 2022 Switzerland earned the top country spot for the fifth time in six years. What helped the country clinch the number one position is its commitment to quality of life and social purpose attributes.

Germany came in second overall, while Canada, the U.S., and Sweden rounded out the top five. Japan ranked sixth overall, then followed by Australia, the U.K., France, and Denmark filling out he top 10, respectively.

The rankings were determined using attributes grouped into 10 subrankings that include entrepreneurship, agility, social purpose, quality of life, and others.

For 2022’s listing, the U.S. ranks first in two categories, Most Powerful and Most Agile, but ranked third in Most Forward-Looking. Sweden is at the top of the Social Purpose category and is also number one in the Women category. The Netherlands topped the list for Racial Equality.

“In general, countries do not shift to any great degree from year to year,” Wharton School professor David Reibstein said. “But in 2021 and 2022, we witnessed more turmoil than in any of the previous seven years of this study, resulting in more change in how people viewed countries.”

Reibstein continued, “Perhaps the greatest shakeup influencing the rankings this year is the conflict in Ukraine, the insecurity within Europe itself, the threat of possible nuclear confrontation and the total disruption of energy supplies.”

As can be expected, the war between Russia and Ukraine affected the rankings of both countries. Russia dropped to number 36 and Ukraine fell to 62. However, Poland, Lithuania, and Romania moved up in the rankings.

Overall findings of the study revealed that 85 percent of respondents expect inflation to worsen and 79 percent agreed with the statement of, “I approve of my country’s efforts to protect its citizens from the COVID-19 pandemic.”