The United States has ranked one place ahead of Canada in the 2026 Best Countries rankings from U.S. News & World Report. The US ranks 18th overall, while Canada ranks 19th among 100 countries. However, the category breakdown shows the two countries performing best in very different areas.

US Strengths

The US is the strongest in Culture & Tourism, ranking No. 1 globally, while Canada ranks only No. 8. The US also ranks much higher than Canada for Economic Development, placing No. 2, while Canada ranks No. 21.

The US ranks No. 1 among the best countries for starting a business, No. 4 for digital nomads, No. 7 for corporate headquarters and No. 10 for education, placing ahead of Canada in each of those lists.

Canada’s Advantages

Canada’s strengths appear more clearly in lifestyle-focused lists, ranking No. 13 among the best countries for raising kids, ahead of the US at No. 20. The country also ranks No. 8 for comfortable retirement, No. 9 for modern urban livability and No. 13 for quality of life.

Canada’s clearest advantage among the eight core categories is Infrastructure. Canada ranks No. 20, while the US does not place in the top 25.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.