Not UK, France or Switzerland – world’s richest nation in 2026 named

The UK didn’t make the worldwide prime 20 and obtained a prosperity rating of 38.05 out of 100.

Norway tanker and fjord landscape

Norway is now ranked because the richest nation on this planet. (Picture: Getty)

International locations just like the UK, France and Switzerland are sometimes seen as among the many richest on this planet due to their giant economies and excessive wages. However a brand new research says one other European nation is definitely the world’s richest nation in 2026, as soon as high quality of life and earnings equality are taken into consideration.

In keeping with the HelloSafe Prosperity Index 2026, Norway is now ranked because the richest nation on this planet with an general prosperity rating of 77.65 out of 100. The research checked out excess of simply GDP figures when rating international locations.

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Oil rig in fjord landscape

Norway has huge oil wealth (Picture: Getty)

As an alternative, researchers mixed GDP and gross nationwide earnings with components corresponding to poverty charges, earnings equality and the Human Growth Index, which measures life expectancy, training and earnings ranges.

In keeping with HelloSafe, this offers a clearer image of how wealth really impacts individuals’s day-to-day lives.

Eire ranked second within the research with a rating of 75.06, whereas Luxembourg got here third with 74.39. Switzerland and Iceland accomplished the highest 5.

The UK didn’t make the worldwide prime 20 and obtained a prosperity rating of 38.05, which HelloSafe described as “low to intermediate prosperity”.

The corporate stated this meant that whereas the UK had robust financial improvement, inequality and poverty nonetheless remained widespread.

Oslo the city in the fjord

Norway has decrease ranges of inequality in comparison with many different rich international locations (Picture: Getty)

HelloSafe additionally identified that GDP figures alone can generally give a deceptive image of wealth.

Eire was used for instance. The nation has a GDP per capita of $150,865 (£117,730) in buying energy parity phrases, largely because of the presence of main multinational firms corresponding to Apple, Google and Pfizer.

Nonetheless, HelloSafe stated a big share of that wealth doesn’t instantly belong to households.

Norway scored highest partly due to its robust social mannequin, excessive gross nationwide earnings and decrease ranges of inequality in comparison with many different rich international locations.

The nation’s huge oil wealth has additionally performed a giant position.

Enormous oil reserves have been found in Norway’s North Sea waters in 1969, however as an alternative of spending the income instantly, the nation invested a lot of the cash right into a sovereign wealth fund.

In the present day, Norway’s Authorities Pension Fund World, usually referred to as the Oil Fund, is price round $2.2 trillion (£1.64 billion).

The skyline of London city with Tower Bridge and financial district during sunrise

The UK didn’t make the worldwide prime 20 (Picture: Getty)

The fund invests in firms, bonds and property all over the world and reportedly owns round 1.5% of all listed world shares.

Norway additionally closely taxes oil firms and locations strict limits on how a lot cash could be spent every year from the fund.

Away from oil and fuel, the nation additionally has robust industries in seafood, maritime transport, hydropower and inexperienced know-how.

Excessive ranges of training, low corruption and powerful public companies have been additionally talked about as main causes for Norway’s prosperity.

HelloSafe stated the rankings present that being the world’s richest nation is “not nearly earnings or GDP, however about how wealth interprets into high quality of life, social cohesion and long-term improvement”.