On the global stage, the U.S. remains one of the most prosperous nations. It has a particularly strong and open economy, ranking 4th in the world for Enterprise Conditions and 10th for Investment Environment.
Prosperity is not equally shared across the U.S., with disparities at state and county level and among different groups of society. Massachusetts continues to be the strongest-performing state and Mississippi the weakest.
Increasing productivity and competitiveness, a more educated adult population, reductions in smoking and drinking, and lower levels of property crime had all contributed to more than a decade-long rise in prosperity.
The direct and indirect impacts of the pandemic resulted in many aspects of prosperity deteriorating over the past year and further consequences are still to be felt, but the number of new business applications has been the highest on record, signaling hope for a strong post-pandemic recovery.
Pre-pandemic, the increase in mass shootings, rising obesity and mental health issues, and people interacting less with neighbors were already impeding further progress and stopping the U.S. performing more strongly on the global stage.
Find out more about the Key Findings from the 2021 U.S. Prosperity Index:
Registered Office: 11 Charles Street, London, W1J 5DW