Regional Insights: Europe & North America

Countries: 41 | Average Country Scores: 0.668 | Median Country Rank: 27

With 14 countries in the CGGI top 20, Europe & North America is the best performing region—and the wealthiest, with an average GDP per capita of about US$ 41,000. The region covers 41 ranked countries with a total population of about 1.1 billion.

Among sub‑regions, Northern Europe leads, contributing four of the five highest-ranking countries this year. The average scores for countries in sub‑regions Eastern Europe and Southern Europe trail those for Northern Europe, Western Europe, and North America.

Denmark, a standout performer in the region, has seen steady progress since 2021, rising to 2^nd place in 2025, up from 6^th in 2021. The country has improved its performance across six pillars, particularly in Financial Stewardship, with significant gains in Government Debt and Country Budget Surplus indicators, as it adopts stringent debt and deficit criteria in the EU’s Stability and Growth Pact.¹

Italy shines as the biggest improver, excelling particularly in Leadership & Foresight. The country’s ambitious 2024 Recovery and Resilience Plan combines 66 reforms and 150 investments to tackle structural challenges to its growth.²

Regional performance trends: Overall, the average score for the region’s countries improved modestly from 2021 to 2025. Out of the 22 countries that improved their scores over this period, 18 hail from the Northern Europe and Southern Europe sub‑regions, while average scores for the countries from the North America, Western Europe, and Eastern Europe sub-regions declined.

Pillar trends: From 2021 to 2025, the average score for the region’s countries improved in four CGGI pillars, with Helping People Rise showing the most significant gains. However, Robust Laws & Policies, Financial Stewardship, and Global Influence & Reputation experienced declines. At the indicator level, the region saw the biggest improvement in Non‑Discrimination.

Data Trends

Cyprus (37^th) debuts in the CGGI, ranking highly in the Financial Stewardship (18^th) pillar and International Trade (2^nd) indicator. The country’s vibrant trade sector is underpinned by its position as the largest third-party ship management hub in Europe.³ 

The Czech Republic (24^th) has made impressive gains in Global Influence & Reputation (+11) since 2021, bucking the global trend of decline in this pillar. Its strong Nation Brand (8^th) has helped fuel a rapid post-pandemic recovery in tourism.⁴ 

Greece (40^th) has emerged as the region’s top improver in Attractive Marketplace. The country’s dynamic economic growth has consistently outpaced the Eurozone average over 2021–2025.⁵

Endnotes

1. Ministry of Finance. (2024). Denmark’s Fiscal and Structural Policy Plan 2024. https://economy-finance.ec.europa.eu/document/download/6139aa30-006e-4691-b8d5-82767718612a_en?filename=Denmarks%20Fiscal%20and%20Structural%20Plan%202024_0.pdf
2. European Commission. (2024). Italy’s Recovery and Resilience Plan. https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/2db5cb6e-95b3-40fc-9d1e-df1dfbaa3377_en?filename=Recovery_and_resilience_FS_IT.pdf
3. Harris, J. (30 May 2024). Global Maritime Jurisdictions: Unveiling Excellence – Cyprus Edition. Trident Trust. https://www.tridenttrust.com/knowledge/insights/global-maritime-jurisdictions-unveiling-excellence-cyprus-edition
4. Statista. (6 March 2025). Tourism gross domestic product Czechia 2003‑2023. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1060793/tourism-gross-domestic-product-czechia/
5. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). (5 December 2024). OECD Economic Surveys: Greece 2024. https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/