Kuwait Leads Arab Countries in Prosperity, Ranks 21st Globally in Economic Freedom
Kuwait’s Rankings:
- 22nd globally in Living Standards
- 37th in Health
- 42nd in Development
- 62nd in Civil Peace
- 105th in Education
Kuwait ranked first among Arab countries and 50th globally in the 2026 Global Prosperity Index, published by the UK-based Legatum Institute, thereby surpassing all other Arab nations included in the ranking.
The Legatum Institute publishes the index annually to assess prosperity levels in 161 countries worldwide. It is based on a comprehensive concept of well-being that extends beyond traditional economic growth indicators, such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP), to include economic well-being and development, freedoms, health, education, society, state integrity, and other factors related to quality of life and the ability to achieve sustainable prosperity.
Kuwait recorded advanced positions in several key pillars of the index. It ranked 21st globally in Economic Freedom and 22nd in Living Standards, which measure wealth levels and the prevalence of extreme poverty. It placed 37th in Health and 39th in State Integrity, an indicator that measures the level of integrity in government institutions, their freedom from corruption, the state’s capacity to provide internal security, and the extent to which citizens are enabled to participate in public life.
In the Development pillar, which reflects tangible levels of prosperity through health, wealth, and education, Kuwait ranked 42nd globally. It placed 59th in Personal Freedom and 62nd in Civil Peace. Conversely, it recorded a relatively lower ranking in Education, placing 105th globally, an indicator that measures the duration and quality of education.
Regionally, Kuwait led the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) rankings by securing the 50th global position, followed by the United Arab Emirates in second place among Arab and Gulf countries (51st globally), then Oman in 54th, Qatar in 78th, and Bahrain in 80th. Saudi Arabia came in at 97th globally.
Globally, Switzerland topped the 2026 Prosperity Index, followed by Norway in second place, Ireland in third, Denmark in fourth, Finland in fifth, Iceland in sixth, Sweden in seventh, Germany in eighth, Australia in ninth, and the Netherlands in tenth.
In a related development, the report noted that the United States surpassed the United Kingdom for the first time since the index’s launch in 2015. The US ranked 17th globally, compared to the UK’s 18th, with a narrow margin in the overall score: 85.5% for the US versus 85.4% for the UK.
The report attributed the US’s superior performance primarily to higher living standards and a higher average Gross National Income (GNI) per capita, reflecting a widening economic gap between the two countries compared to 2008, when their performance was largely comparable.
Conversely, the US recorded weaker results in several social pillars, most notably in Health (42nd), Family Cohesion (37th), and Community Cohesion (34th), amid the impact of rising violent crime rates on some of these indicators.
The UK, meanwhile, performed better in certain areas, ranking 30th globally in Health and 13th in Family Cohesion. However, it fell behind the US in Community Cohesion, ranking 42nd compared to the US’s 22nd, influenced by a decline in the Polarization and Division indicator. This decline occurred against a backdrop of rising ethnic tensions and disparities in access to government jobs among different political factions, according to the report.
The index’s results showed a notable decline in the rankings of several major countries. China, for instance, fell from 54th place in the 2023 index to 110th under the updated assessment methodology. The report attributed this drop primarily to weak performance in the freedom indicators, where it ranked 150th, as well as limited results in protecting life and promoting economic freedom. Meanwhile, it recorded relatively better positions in development, reaching 60th place, and in community, 88th.
Russia also slipped from 77th to 103rd globally, mainly due to a drop in its freedom pillar ranking to 142nd. Belarus similarly experienced a significant decline, falling to 132nd worldwide compared to 78th in 2023, thereby ranking last among European countries in the index. Despite performing better in the development pillar, where it placed 54th, its low ranking in freedom (155th) and community (132nd) heavily impacted its overall position.
The Legatum Institute’s report raised the question of whether significantly higher levels of prosperity might be associated with certain adverse effects, citing several indicators that tend to decline as a country’s level of affluence rises.
Among the most prominent of these phenomena is the higher tax burden in the most prosperous countries, alongside falling birth rates and a growing prevalence of trade in highly dangerous illegal drugs.
The Legatum Institute, a think tank and research group focused on studying the factors that contribute to societal prosperity and supporting the transition from poverty to prosperity through sustainable economic, social, and institutional policies, also highlighted another paradox: the most advanced societies do not necessarily record higher levels in certain social indicators related to daily life and human relationships, such as ease of making friends, feeling joy and laughter, helping strangers, and engaging in volunteer work. These factors, the index suggests, are closely linked to levels of happiness and social well-being.
