WE KNEW IT! Ireland ranks in the top 25 of the best countries in the world

Let’s all give ourselves a collective pat on the back.

Ireland has been named as the 21^st best country in the world in a new list compiled by U.S. News & World Report. The website, renowned for its university rankings, placed Ireland just above the United Arab Emirates and just below China on a list that was compiled using 65 country attributes, including cultural influence, entrepreneurship, heritage, open for business, power and quality of life. In a more detailed profile on the U.S. News & World Report website, it was noted that “while Ireland’s rapid economic growth came to a sudden halt in 2008, today the Celtic Tiger is once again roaring”. Ireland’s “large cultural imprint” was also recognised, as was evidence that our “social norms are evolving, causing clashes between younger generations and the Roman Catholic Church”. You can see a more detailed breakdown of what catapulted Ireland to 21^st on the list here, with Switzerland, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany and Japan making up the top five. 80 countries in total were included on the 2017 list and all of them had to meet four benchmarks:

• Top 100 countries in terms of gross domestic product in 2015 or 2014, based on World Bank Data
• Top 150 countries in the UN's Human Development Index, based on the 2015 or 2014 report
• Top 100 countries in terms of foreign direct investment inflows in 2014 or 2013, based on United Nations data
• Top 100 countries in terms of international tourism receipts in 2014 or international tourism arrivals in 2013, based on World Bank data

You can check out the list in full here, but for now, feel free to give yourself a pat on the back and carry around a smug sense of self-satisfaction for the rest of the evening; you’ve deserved it.

U.S. News & World Report best countries in the world

1. Switzerland
2. Canada
3. United Kingdom
4. Germany
5. Japan
6. Sweden
7. United States
8. Australia
9. France
10. Norway

21. IRELAND