The Regional Social Progress Index measures social progress on 50 indicators across the 272 regions of the 28 EU member states. The aim of the index is to help inform development strategies.

The areas in the top five are Upper Norrland in Sweden, Central Jutland and the region of Copenhagen in Denmark, Aland in Finland and Utrecht in the Netherlands. Sweden, Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands together take up the first 30 spots on the list.

The Social Progress Index is an aggregate index of indicators that capture three dimensions of social progress: basic human needs, foundations of wellbeing and opportunity. The index measures social progress strictly using outcomes of success, as opposed to how much effort a country or community makes. For example, the expenditure on healthcare matters much less than the health and wellness achieved.

  Source and graphics: www.socialprogressimperative.org