Australia
- FIFA World Ranking: 38
- Social Progress Ranking: 12
Australia has been a consistent performer when it comes to achieving social progress. Ranking 12th in 2022, Australia places above the likes of the UK, France, and the United States. The country performs best in areas including ‘access to basic knowledge’, ‘nutrition and basic medical care’, and ‘personal rights’. Their high ranking on the SPI however cannot be translated onto the pitch as they rank only 38th on the FIFA World Rankings.
Denmark
- FIFA World Ranking: 10
- Social Progress Ranking: 2
Ranked number two on the SPI, Denmark is the highest-ranked country on the Index taking part in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Denmark is a country that has traditionally always ranked high on the SPI, especially in 2017 where it ranked first. Denmark best performs on factors including ‘nutrition and medical care’ with the country adopting a health system that is tax-funded giving all citizens access to free healthcare. They are not too bad at football as well, placed 10th on the FIFA World Rankings, and are many people’s dark horses for this year’s tournament.
Tunisia
- FIFA World Ranking: 26
- Social Progress Ranking: 72
The north African country ranks a lowly 72nd on the SPI with areas such as ‘inclusiveness’, ‘environmental quality’, and ‘access to advanced education’ scoring the lowest. Ever since the uprising a decade ago, Tunisia has struggled to gain any progression.
Spain
- FIFA World Ranking: 6
- Social Progress Ranking: 21
In many people’s opinion, Spain is one of the best footballing countries in the world and seems to be producing talent after talent every year. Off the pitch, Spain is a consistent performer on the SPI ranking high in areas such as ‘nutrition and basic medical care’ and ‘personal rights’. One area of concern for many Spanish citizens is climate change and global warming and since the pandemic, concerns have only heightened. Their lowest score is around ‘environmental quality’ with much of the population being affected by the issues.
Costa Rica
- FIFA World Ranking: 31
- Social Progress Ranking: 37
Costa Rica is a country that has experienced gradual and consistent development over the last 25 years and has therefore risen well on the SPI. It is a country that boasts one of the lowest poverty rates in Latin America and the Caribbean and is a global leader in its environmental policies and accomplishments. Costa Rica performs best in components such as ‘water and sanitation’, ‘personal rights and nutrition’, and ‘basic medical care’. When it comes to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the Costa Ricans will hope they can show the same sort of rise.
Germany
- FIFA World Ranking: 11
- Social Progress Ranking: 8
A country that ranks well in both the SPI and the FIFA World Rankings is Germany. According to the SPI, the country performs best in components including ‘personal rights’, ‘access to basic knowledge’, and ‘nutrition and basic medical care’. One of their lowest-scored components is ‘inclusiveness’ but despite scoring 84.57, racism, antisemitism, and islamophobia remain a concern. On tehe football side of things, Germany is one of the most successful teams ever in the FIFA World Cup and hope to continue this success in this year’s competition.