• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, January 25, 2016

WPP’s BAV Consulting, U.S. News & World Report and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania have created what the groups are calling the inaugural "Best Countries" report that assesses countries over a range of economic, environmental social criteria including business-friendliness, entrepreneurship, green living, and up-and-coming economy.

Germany was deemed the best overall country, followed by Canada, the U.K., the U.S. and Sweden, respectively.

The rankings evaluate 60 nations across 24 rankings lists. The U.S. is cited as the most powerful country, and India has the top up-and-coming economy. Germany is the best country for entrepreneurship, while Luxembourg is the most business-friendly. Brazil is the number one nation to visit, while Canada tops the list of countries with the best quality of life.

The study was created to capture how nations are perceived on a global scale, and the rankings are the centerpiece of a new web portal called "Best Countries," launched last week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

"Best Countries is a product of the most extensive data set ever collected on how nations are perceived globally," said John Gerzema, CEO of BAV Consulting. "These perceptions contribute to a greater narrative about future drivers and deterrents of economic prosperity in nations and shape powerful brands that impact a country's bottom line."

The study and model used to score and rank countries was developed by WPP’s brand strategy firm BAV Consulting and The Wharton School in consultation with U.S. News & World Report.

A set of 65 country attributes -- terms that can be used to describe a country and that are also relevant to the success of a modern nation -- were identified. Attributes by nation were presented in a survey of more than 16,000 people from across the globe where participants assessed how closely they associated one with the other. More on the methodology can be found here.