Russia is only slightly less powerful than the United States in the global arena, according to a new ranking published for the opening of the World Economic Forum in Davos.
The "Best Countries" report produced by U.S. News & World Report released this week ranks 80 countries across different metrics, including quality of life, civil rights and power. Russia placed 26th overall, while the United States came in eighth and Davos host Switzerland topped the ranking for the second year in a row.
Russia scored well in the "Power" category, which the study describes as a country’s ability to “project their influence on the world stage” and “consistently dominate news headlines, preoccupy policymakers and shape global economic patterns."
The report cited the country's strong military, political influence and leader.
Washington topped the charts in terms of economic influence and international alliances but lagged behind Moscow in other categories.
“The gap between the U.S. and Russia for the top spot in power narrowed from 2017 as the two countries had nearly identical scores from respondents,” the study says.
Russia scored less well in the “quality of life” and “citizenship” categories, which assess property and human rights, economic stability and income equality.
It also came in last place in the “open for business” category, with the authors of the study citing corruption and bureaucratic hurdles.
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