If you’ve ever visited one of the healthiest countries in the world, then you already know what it feels like to end a trip feeling stronger and more refreshed than when you started. There’s something about following in the footsteps of citizens with impeccable diets and universal health care that simply makes you feel healthier—without counting calories or taking frequent trips to the hotel gym.
There are many factors that determine how “healthy” a country is—from life expectancy to the quality of hospitals—as evidenced by the cache of annual rankings scattered across the internet. While Bloomberg’s Global Health Index has historically been the most popular version of this type of list, the index hasn’t been updated since the COVID-19 pandemic—something which very obviously affected global health as a whole.
We were curious which countries have been able to stay relatively well since 2020 (or at least well enough to still be recognized on worldwide rankings), so we referred to a recent study from CEOWORLD magazine to compile this year’s list. The study pulled data from several reputable sources, including the United Nations Population Division, the World Bank, the Lancet study, and the World Health Organization—the latter of which pays particular attention to factors like COVID-related deaths and vaccination rates.
The bad news: The United States did not make the top 10 (it currently sits at position 45). The good news: Some of our absolute favorite countries are ranked among the world’s healthiest, which means you can sample some amazing cuisines and see one-of-a-kind landscapes while tackling those resolutions. Without further ado, here are the healthiest countries to visit next.
This article has been updated since its original publish date.
