The 2009 Legatum Prosperity Index

Aquí disponible en pdf

La carta de presentación:

(es una maravilla que exista algo así :-); así acordemos que sólo es un esfuerzo de cuantificar lo seguro incuantificable: la libertad)

"Dear Reader,

Welcome to the 2009 Legatum Prosperity Index™, the world’s only global assessment of wealth and wellbeing. Now in its third year, this edition builds on the previous versions with expanded data and refined analysis.

The Prosperity Index™ uses a holistic definition of prosperity to include both material wealth and quality of life. Rather than replicating other measurements that rank countries by their actual levels of wealth, life satisfaction, or development, the Prosperity Index produces rankings based on the foundations of prosperity. These are the factors that help drive economic growth or produce happy citizens in a given country.

The Prosperity Index™ assesses 104 countries, accounting for 90 percent of the world’s population, and is based on 79 different variables, each of which has a demonstrated effect either on economic growth or on personal wellbeing. This report provides the country rankings, a number of key findings, and background on how the Index was created. More information on the Prosperity Index™, including data sources, profiles of each country, and interactive tools for further exploration, can be found at www.prosperity.com.

Our hope is that the Prosperity Index™ findings will be of use to policymakers, journalists, business leaders, scholars, and interested citizens around the world. While there appear to be some common foundations shared by prosperous countries – such as economic liberty, accountable government, human rights, healthy citizens, and strong communities – it remains a fact of history that each nation needs to find its own path to success. Moreover, while governments by themselves cannot create or mandate prosperity, they can help create an environment that is conducive to entrepreneurship, earned success, and human flourishing. Ultimately, it is citizens and their leaders who must choose to take ownership of the foundations that will drive their nation’s long-term prosperity and their personal fulfilment.

The Prosperity Index™ is the signature annual report of the Legatum Institute and is central to our ongoing inquiry into the nature of prosperity and the pathways of successful countries. The Legatum Institute is a London-based global think tank that promotes political, economic, and individual liberty around the globe, with a special focus on developing and transitioning countries. We very much hope that you find the 2009 Prosperity Index™ to be engaging and thought provoking. For the Legatum Institute, the quest to understand the foundations of prosperity and the pathways of successful countries is an enduring investigation that we will seek to improve with every edition. We would welcome any comments or feedback that may help improve our understanding. Please visit us at www.li.com for more information about our research, products, events, and initiatives.

Yours Sincerely,

Dr. William Inboden
Senior Vice-President
Legatum Institute

Dr. Ryan Streeter
Senior Fellow
Legatum Institute"