“INDEPENDENCE in Europe is the clear path for Scotland,” the SNP have said after new research showed that small nations are some of the best performers for prosperity.
New analysis from The Prosperity Index, which draws on more than 600,000 data points across 161 indicators, has shown that small European nations are some of the best performers when it comes to issues like standard of living, education and health.
The annual index takes the data points and puts them into ten pillars and three overarching domains: Development, Freedom and Society, as it tries to steer away from GDP-per-head comparisons that are usually used to measure countries' growth.
This year’s analysis found that Norway, Ireland, Denmark and Finland, nations with similar population sizes and economic resources as Scotland, all came in the top five of its rankings - with Switzerland finishing top.
The UK finished 18th in the rankings, just behind the United States of America and Canada, with low scores for the likes of healthcare and standard of living.
Following the publication of the analysis SNP MSP for Stirling, Alyn Smith, has said the research shows that to become a thriving nation with strong economic foundations, a healthier population and a prospering education system, “Scotland needs to take her place as an independent European nation”.
He said: “This research shows that without doubt Scotland’s best possible future is as an independent nation firmly back in the heart of Europe.
“Countries that have similar population sizes and economic resources, such as Norway and Ireland, are thriving with far higher standards of living than the UK – there is no reason Scotland cannot aspire to join these nations.
“It is clear that the key difference is that these smaller countries have the ability to take decisions for themselves, as Scotland remains tethered to a Westminster system that is holding us back.
“Scotland is on a path to independence – and this is a key reminder of the prize once we get there: higher living standards, and a healthier, more educated population. That is what the ability to make our own decisions will deliver.”
The analysis’s “Standard of Living” pillar estimates the material standard of living of citizens and draws on data on wealth, destitution and access to food, water and sanitation; it helps users to judge first whether a country provides the basic material resources that are necessary for its citizens to thrive; and second, how well its economy is performing more broadly.
Norway came out on top in the Standard of Living pillar, with Singapore and Luxembourg rounding out the top three. Ireland, Iceland and Denmark all made the top 10.
Elsewhere, the “Health” pillar estimates whether the population has the health needed for prosperity.
The index calculates this by considering two things: life expectancy, and child and infant mortality.
The likes of Norway, Luxembourg and Iceland all make the top 10 of this list again.
The “Education” pillar provides a broad estimate of the provision of education within countries by considering mean years of education and rates of literacy.
The report explains this indicates educational provision whilst avoiding some of the difficulties inherent in the comparison of education systems globally.
The likes of Iceland, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia all made the top 10 along with the UK, which came in ninth.
The report concludes, saying: “We believe that, at minimum, a prosperous nation will be highly developed, very free, and have a strong social fabric.
“Because our new method of averaging punishes weakness more than it rewards strength, we have doubled down on what matters most.”
