FAQ
The Mission of the Legatum Prosperity Index remains the same as ever. The 2026 index features new data and new methodology compared to the previous (2023) edition. You can read more about these on our methodology page and in our Summary Report.
Where do you source your data?
Our data comes from more than 28 sources. These are vetted for accuracy, completeness, pertinence and methodological robustness. A full list of our data sources can be found in our Methodology section.
How is the Legatum Prosperity Index built?
A team of researchers based at the Legatum Prosperity Institute builds the Index in collaboration with Legatum. The methodological approach used is described in our Methodology section.
What is the purpose of the Index?
The Legatum Prosperity Index is a tool for transformation. It has been designed to support leaders and policymakers around the world to set their agendas for growth, development, and the promotion of prosperity.
What period of time is covered by the Index?
Our primary focus has been to offer a snapshot of prosperity in 2026. We have also processed a decade’s worth of data stretching back to 2015 to provide a sense of trends over time.
How can I use the Legatum Prosperity Index?
You are welcome to download and use the data provided on our website in accordance with our Terms of Use . It can be used for education, policymaking, advocacy, and more.
Does the 2026 release of the Legatum Prosperity Index include any methodological change or adjustment with respect to the previous edition?
Yes. We have substantially updated the methodology to incorporate new statistical techniques, analytical approaches, and data. Please refer to our methodology page.
Why are certain countries not included?
If a country is not included, the most likely reason is a lack of reliable data. This is commonly a problem among the least prosperous countries, often zones of conflict, or serious government repression. In other cases, the population of a country is so small that the data can throw up especially strange anomalies, or there simply may not be data.
Is it really possible to measure prosperity?
Prosperity is a big concept with many facets! We cannot measure prosperity in the usual sense of ‘measure’, as if using a scientific instrument. Nonetheless, we firmly believe that we can estimate prosperity by statistically inferring it from data that we actually can measure: our over 160 indicators. Our task is to aggregate what data is available in the most compelling way to estimate and rank which countries are the most prosperous.
Where can I find the raw data used to construct the Index pillars?
A description of the kind of data that feeds into each pillar is provided in the tooltip box when hovering over the pillar labels in the rankings table or tree diagram on the methodology page. It is our intention to make available a more extensive discussion of the many sub-components of the pillars later this year. You are welcome to contact us if you would like more information. We are unable to provide all of the raw datapoints themselves as many of these are not publicly available but used by us under license for the purpose of constructing the Index.
Do you use modified GNI for countries with large numbers of international corporations located there for tax purposes?
Some countries known internationally for their favourable tax regimes for corporations have seen their GDP increase in a way that is not always reflective of the underlying economic productivity of the country. Ireland is a great example of this phenomenon, which is why its government created a special statistic as an alternative to ordinary GNI which is a more accurate reflection of domestic economic productivity: Modified GNI. This accounts for massive international corporations relocating there. We investigated the impact of using Ireland’s Modified GNI rather than its raw GNI, but its overall ranking would not have changed. In addition, while Modified GNI is very useful for understanding economic productivity in Ireland, it raises questions about how useful it is when comparing it to other countries which do not produce this statistic. Nonetheless, we are continually looking to improve and may incorporate it in future editions.
How does the Legatum Prosperity Index compare to other indexes?
For nearly two decades, we have been world-leading in our holistic approach to prosperity, which is about human flourishing rather than any one individual factor, such as wealth. This is reflected in the three broad domains in this year’s Index: Development, Freedom, and Society. In addition, the comprehensive way we use p-averages to calculate scores is, to the best of our knowledge, novel. Please see the Methodology section for more information.
What tools are used to create the Legatum Prosperity Index?
We draw data from our database, process it through our proprietary software designed specifically for the purpose of creating the index, and then analyse the results. Our software is written in Python.
Is the Legatum Prosperity Index independently reviewed?
Yes, the 2026 Legatum Prosperity Index has been independently reviewed by eleven different external experts. Eight of them are university faculty at institutions in the UK, United States and Canada. Nine are academic doctors, and each is an expert in a relevant field including political science, philosophy, public policy, law, economics, political theory, international development, trade, and data science. The bespoke software used to create the 2026 Legatum Prosperity Index was subject to an independent code review. Reviewers provided helpful feedback and we welcome more as we continue to develop the Index. If you would like to join our review panel, please feel free to get in touch.
