How does US stack up against the world? See how Americans rank it on 40 issues

The idea of American exceptionalism is woven into the fabric of the country’s identity. From campaign speeches to chart-topping anthems like “God Bless the U.S.A.,” Americans are often told their nation holds a unique and unrivaled place in the world.

But when it comes to concrete measures — such as life expectancy, public safety, health care and happiness — does “The Land of the Free” truly lead the pack?

A new YouGov poll set out to find the answer, asking Americans to compare the U.S. to other countries across 40 different metrics.

Here is a breakdown of the results.

How U.S. compares to the world

In the poll — which sampled 1,127 U.S. adults June 3-5 — a majority of respondents said the U.S. was the best in the world or better than most other countries when it came to six metrics.

The vast majority, 74%, said it outperformed the world on military strength. This was followed by freedom of speech (62%), religious freedom (61%), entertainment (60%), women’s rights (52%) and scientific innovation (51%).

On the 34 other metrics, fewer than half of respondents said the U.S. was superior.

For example, 40% said it was better or best on the economy, while 35% said the same for political stability and life expectancy. Thirty percent said it outpaced the world on personal happiness.

Coming in at the bottom was government accountability, with just 20% saying the U.S. led the world on this metric. It was followed by national unity (21%), government efficiency (22%) and cost of living (22%).

On almost every metric, there was a sizable partisan divide, with Republicans being far more likely than Democrats to give the U.S. a good score.

And on some, the divide was more of a chasm. For example, 75% of Republicans said the U.S. outperformed all or most of the globe on women’s rights, while 40% of Democrats said the same.

Similarly, 60% of GOP respondents said the U.S. led the world when it came to treatment of immigrants, while 21% of Democrats said the same.

Additionally, men were more likely than women to give a higher rating to the U.S. on most metrics, according to the poll, which has a margin of error of about 4 percentage points.

The majority of men, 65%, said the U.S. was the best or better than most countries at scientific innovation. Just 39% of women agreed. And 50% of men said the U.S. surpassed most or all of the world when it comes to democracy, while 33% of women said the same.

This story was originally published July 11, 2025 at 12:58 PM with the headline "How does US stack up against the world? See how Americans rank it on 40 issues."