Canada ranks second ‘Most Thoughtful’ country in the world

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Today, amidst the onslaught of invasion news, a positive piece landed in my inbox: Canada ranked as the second most thoughtful country in the world, according to a study by MyPostcard.com.

Canada falls just behind the Netherlands in the ‘most thoughtful’ rankings, the German company found, noting that throughout the pandemic, the benevolent and compassionate actions of strangers have provided some of the most poignant moments.

“As many countries begin to emerge on the other side, it is important to remember and pay tribute to these selfless acts and the best side of human nature,” the company stated in a media release.

As a company that helps people show empathy and compassion for others, MyPostcard set out to determine how thoughtful every country is by assessing a range of “comparable factors based on current data and statistics that indicate the level of care and empathy a nation and its citizens have for other people.”

The study began by establishing three broad areas that indicate how compassionate and thoughtful societies are: Philanthropy, Equality and Family. According to the release, every country in the world was then ranked against a variety of factors in each category before the top-ranking countries with reliable data were studied in greater detail.

How the study was conducted, according to MyPostcard:

Firstly, the researchers evaluated how philanthropic each nation is by looking at how much money is donated on a personal scale both to those within the same country and overseas. In addition to this, they established the amount of money each government spends on social security benefits as well as public services. Then, they used proprietary survey data to determine the level of compassionate care and volunteer work undertaken by people in each country.

Following this, the researchers collected data to assess levels of social equality in each country. This was done by looking at the access to and quality of education and healthcare as well as gender and minority equality, as well as how socially mobile people can be.

Finally, the support for families in each country was established by collecting data on state care and family care for the elderly in addition to the amount of child support that is available.

Countries that have laws that impede upon human rights or make no effort to fix systemic flaws related to human rights were disqualified from the overall ranking, but may feature in subsequent factor rankings.

Canadian highlights:

  • Canada ranks as the best country in the world for Elderly Care provided by the State, with the highest number of national policies on residential care, support for carers as well as financial security.
  • Overall, Canada ranks as the second most thoughtful society in the world. The Netherlands comes out on top, whilst Finland ranks third.
  • Canadians make the 8th most charitable donations in the world. Indonesia and Australia rank first and second.
  • Canada ranks as the 8th most compassionate society in the world. The USA and Kenya rank first and second.
  • People in Canada do the 8th most volunteering in the world. The USA and New Zealand rank first and second.
  • Canada ranks as the 6th best country in the world for minority equality. Sweden and Finland rank first and second.

The table on the left below reveals the top-ranking societies in the world for Elderly Care provided by the state. The table on the right below reveals the top-ranking societies in the world for Minority Equality. All scores are out of 100, with 100 being the highest possible score.

Screenshot of study results.

The table below reveals the 20 most thoughtful societies in the world.

Screenshot of study results.

Read the full study and methodology on the MyPostcard website.

“As many parts of the world begin to emerge from the pandemic, there may still be some negative memories from this period, but many moments of human solidarity and benevolence are also fondly remembered,” said Oliver Kray, founder and CEO of MyPostcard. “Whilst for many of us the pandemic taught us about virology and how particles spread, it also reminded us of the importance of our own actions and how the smallest act of selflessness can take on great importance, whether by doing shopping for others or simply asking how your neighbour is doing. Hopefully, as the world opens up again, we can all remember how positively we can impact the world around us and we hope this study goes some way in doing that.”

Related: 7 Simple Things That Have Improved Due To The Pandemic

Here in Ontario, pandemic restrictions are lifting, with more to come, according to the provincial government. Let’s continue to stay thoughtful and think of others as we transition back to larger gatherings and more contact with others. Remember – a little kindness goes a long way.

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