Index ranks Tunisia most prosperous country in North Africa
Tunisia was ranked respectively first in North Africa, third in the Arab world and fourth in Africa by the 2009 edition of the UK based Legatum Prosperity Index. Tunisia is ranked 68 th in the world, preceding China, Russia, and Turkey.
The 2009 edition of the report was presented during a press conference held on November 3, 2009 at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington DC.In its third year, the 2009 edition of the index ranks 104 nations according to nine blocks of prosperity, which have been identified through extensive research and analysis by team of scholars, experts and analysts. They are:
-Economic fundamentals
-Entrepreneurship and innovation
-Democratic institutions
-Education
-Health
-Safety and security
-Governance
-Personal freedom
-Social capital
Finland tops this year’s rankings followed by Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway. Zimbabwe is last, followed by Yemen and Sudan.
The 2009 Legatum Prosperity Index, gives Tunisia good ratings insofar as its governance (36 th), educational system, health care, and stability and security (37 th), are concerned.
The report stresses the strong link between security and prosperity and notes that prosperity can be defined as both wealth and wellbeing, adding that “the most prosperous nations are not necessarily those that have a high GDP, but are those that also have happy healthy and free citizens”.
