Prosperity Index

India is ranked 88 out of 110 countries in The 2010 Legatum Prosperity Index.

Norway was ranked 1st, Australia 4th, USA 10th, China 58th all well ahead of us.

Our predicament is shared by Bangladesh 96th, Rwanda 98th, Ethiopia 107th and Pakistan 109th.

The Legatum Prosperity Index is the world's only global assessment of wealth and wellbeing; unlike other studies that rank countries by actual levels of wealth, life satisfaction or development, the Prosperity Index produces rankings based upon the very foundations of prosperity those factors that will help drive economic growth and produce happy citizens over the long term.

I have compared our rating with Norway in the graph to make us aware where we are lagging. I did not want to compare ourself with Pakistan or Zimabwe ranked 110.

Let us see why we rank so low in spite of such economic strengths :

1) Economy - Ranked 44th - India’s economy is growing steadily and contributing to public optimism despite current low standards of living. India places just 61st with regard to citizens’ ability to access affordable food and shelter. Only six out of 10 people are content with their standards of living, placing the country 64th on this variable.

2)  Entrepreneurship & Opportunity - Ranked 93rd. Indians are optimistic of business opportunities, despite poor entrepreneurial infrastructure and social inequality. Indians are extremely pessimistic about the local entrepreneurial environment: only 56% of people believe their local area is a good place to look for a job, placing India amongst the lowest 15 countries on this Index. In addition, India has a weak infrastructure for entrepreneurship: less than a third of the population owns a mobile telephone, internet bandwidth capacity is only moderate, and the availability of secure internet servers is low.

3) Governance - Ranked 41st India’s democratic structures are stable and well-regulated, helping to secure public approval. India is a relatively successful democracy. The current regime has been in place for approximately six decades, indicating a high level of stability. Although the rule of law is strong, the view that corruption is widespread in government and businesses is common, placing India 72nd on this variable. Similarly, regulation of the business environment is inadequate.

4) Education - Ranked 89th. Low enrolment rates and large classes result in poor human capital. India has a poorly developed education system. Net primary enrolment is below average at 90%, gross secondary enrolment is low at 57%, and gross tertiary enrolment is at 13%. India ranks in bottom third of the Index on all three variables. According to a 2009 survey, less than three-quarters of respondents were satisfied with their local educational facilities, placing India 53rd on this variable.

5) Health - Ranked 95th. India has extremely poor healthcare, failing to prevent systemic diseases or malnourishment. One in 20 children die within the first year of life in India, and almost one-in-five people are malnourished, indicating poor public health. Indians have a life expectancy of only 53 healthy years. Preventative healthcare is extremely ineffective in India: only 62% of children are immunised against infectious diseases and only 67% are immunised against measles, placing India in the bottom 10 countries on both variables.

6) Safety & Security - Ranked 78th. Indians face threats arising from displacement, political violence, and crime. India faces political and demographic problems, which threaten its national security. There is a high level of displacement in India, resulting in a sizeable community of refugees and internally displaced persons, and there are many group grievances arising from current and historic injustices. According to a 2009 survey, an above-average 6% of people had been assaulted in the previous year, but only 8% had been victims of theft, placing India 63rd and 12th, respectively, on these variables. Additionally, three-quarters of people feel safe walking alone at night, ranking 28th, globally.

7) Personal Freedom - Ranked 74th. In India, individual freedoms are limited and tolerance of immigrants remains low. Indians are somewhat restricted in their civil liberties, and the country places 53rd with regard to freedoms of expression, belief, association, and personal autonomy. According to a 2009 survey, only 68% of people are satisfied with their freedom to choose what they do with their lives, placing India 67th on this variable. Less than half of people surveyed believe that their city is a good place for immigrants to live, placing India 95th on this variable. A slightly higher 63% believed that ethnic and racial minorities are welcomed in their city, placing India 65th on this variable.

8) Social Capital - Ranked 105th. Family and religion are important factors, which tie together the Indian society. According to a 2009 survey, an above-average 21% of Indians believe they can trust others. However, objective measurements of social capital are less positive. Only 19% of people had donated to a charity in the previous month and just 13% had formally volunteered their time over the same period, placing India 76th and 77th, respectively, on these variables. Similarly, only 36% of people had helped a stranger in the previous month, indicating relatively poor community relations. Social networks are reasonably well-developed. India has the second-highest rate of marriage at 75%, indicating the potential for strong access to familial networks. Access to religious networks may also be strong, with almost three-quarters of respondents to a 2009 survey having attended a place of worship in the preceding seven days. Despite these networks, less than two-thirds of people claim they can rely on family or friends in times of need, placing the country just 102nd on this variable.

The above observations are the criteria on which we are ranked 88 / 110. Please check out for other comparisons with other nations and see where we lack and need to improve - click on link below :
http://www.prosperity.com/default.aspx

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