<p class="ingestion featured-caption">Switzerland once again took the top spot for best country, according to U.S. News & World Report.Michael Robinson/Getty Images</p><ul class="summary-list"><li>Switzerland regained the top spot on U.S. News & World Report's list of best countries in the world.</li><li>The 2024 rankings assessed 89 countries on factors including heritage, power, and entrepreneurship.</li></ul><p>For the third year in a row, Switzerland was ranked the best country in the world.</p><p>The 2024 rankings, released Tuesday, were determined by <a target="_blank" class href="https://usnews.com/news/best-countries?src=usn_pr ">U.S. News & World Report</a>, which partnered with the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.</p><p>Switzerland took the top spot from 2017 to 2020, but in recent years was superceded by Canada. The Commonwealth nation fell to fourth in 2024.</p><p>The rankings, which examined 89 countries, considered factors such as quality of life, entrepreneurship, and power. Each country received scores on 10 categories, including business-friendliness and agility, which U.S. News describes as being "most adaptable to change." The weighted sum determined the overall score.</p><p>"The Best Countries report speaks to the value of having a strong global image as nations compete for foreign trade, tourists and socioeconomic influence," David Reibstein, professor of marketing at the Wharton School, said in a statement. "The Best Countries ranking is more than a beauty contest. Global leaders need to realize that how their countries are viewed affects their economies through tourism, foreign direct investment and foreign trade, all critical components of their GDP."</p><p>Below, read on for the best countries in the world, according to U.S. News, and the categories in which each one excels. </p><p>Population data for each country is from the US Census Bureau and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) information was sourced from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).</p>