The Philippines placed 78th out of 100 countries in the latest US News & World Report Best Countries rankings, posting an overall score of 46.2 out of 100 — trailing several of its neighbors in Southeast Asia but ahead of Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar in the regional standings.
The 2026 edition of the annual rankings marks a methodological shift for US News, which moved away from its previous perceptions-based approach in favor of evaluating countries across eight weighted categories of national well-being.
Among the areas assessed, the Philippines performed best in Natural Environment, where it ranked 57th with a score of 59.7, and in Infrastructure, where it placed 78th with a score of 56.1. Its weakest showing came in Health, where the country ranked 93rd out of 100, scoring just 35.6 — one of the lower scores in the Asia-Pacific region.
The country also ranked 66th in Governance (48.4), 71st in Civic Health (49.0), 61st in Economic Development (47.6), 77th in Opportunity (38.1), and 57th in Culture and Tourism (41.7).
Within Southeast Asia, Singapore led the regional pack at 16th globally with a score of 70.7, followed by Japan and South Korea — both technically outside Southeast Asia but close regional neighbors — at 17th and 20th respectively. Malaysia ranked 41st and Thailand 46th, with Vietnam at 57th and Indonesia at 62nd, all finishing ahead of the Philippines.
The data was researched by BusinessWorld’s Isa Jane D. Acabal and Lourdes O. Pilar, with graphics by Bong R. Fortin.
