These are the world's best countries

The 60 countries included were chosen based on other key business, economy and quality of life indicators

And the winner is...

The votes are in, and the best country in the world is...

(Drum roll, please.)

It's Germany. The United States came fourth, right behind third-ranked Britain and second-ranked Canada.

That's according to the inaugural “Best Countries” ranking from US News & World Report, the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School and global brand consultants BAV Consulting. The ranking was officially unveiled at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on 20 January.

“Just as we have done with universities, hospitals and other institutions, our Best Countries portal will be a global homepage for stories and data to help citizens, business leaders and governments evaluate performance in a rapidly changing world,” Mortimer B. Zuckerman, chairman and editor-in-chief of U.S. News, said in a statement. The publication is known the world over for many of its rankings.

The best countries in the world (Niraj Chokshi/The Washington Post)

The new project ranks 60 countries across 24 categories and is based on a survey of more than 16,000 people.

The United States ranked first in power and influence. Sweden scored the most top spots, ranking first for being the best country for citizenship, raising kids and green living. Other top rankings include Brazil for adventure; Luxembourg for opening a business; France for cultural influence; Germany for entrepreneurship; Canada for quality of life; Italy for heritage; and India for its up-and-coming economy. In the end, Germany scored highest overall.

The ranking relied on surveys from 16,248 people from 36 countries in the Americas, Asia, Europe and Africa. Of those, more than 8,000 were “informed elites” (college-educated, middle- or upper-class individuals). More than 4,500 were business leaders, defined as senior leaders in an organization or individuals who own small business that employ others. The rest belonged to the general public.

Each respondent was asked to share his or her perceptions on a random selection of 65 attributes for a random selection of countries. The attributes were each scored and grouped into nine broader categories: adventure, citizenship, cultural influence, entrepreneurship, heritage, movers, open for business, power and quality of life.

Scores in each category were then weighted based on correlation with widespread prosperity, measured using the International Monetary Fund's 2014 per capita gross domestic product purchasing power parity.

The 60 countries included were chosen based on other key business, economy and quality of life indicators.

Copyright: Washington Post