The 2020 Best Countries rankings, formed in partnership with BAV Group, a unit of global marketing communications company VMLY&R, and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, are based on a study that surveyed more than 20,000 global citizens from four regions to assess perceptions of 73 countries on 75 different metrics. The Quality of Life subranking is based on an equally weighted average of scores from nine country attributes that relate to quality of life in a country: affordable, a good job market, economically stable, family friendly, income equality, politically stable, safe, well-developed public education system and well-developed public health system. The Quality of Life subranking score had a 17% weight in the overall Best Countries ranking.

People consistently view a small group of nations as best providing for their citizens. For the fifth consecutive year, Canada ranks No. 1 overall for providing a good quality of life. Survey respondents view the North American country as No. 1 for being politically stable, No. 4 for having a well-developed public education system, and No. 2 for having a good job market, a perception supported by independent research. The North American country is seen as possessing the most well-developed public health care system. In fact, Canada is rated in the top 10 in all but one of the nine attributes, affordability, where Asian countries dominate.

Seven European countries are ranked in the top 10: Denmark , Sweden and Norway immediately follow Canada, with Australia, the Netherlands, Switzerland , New Zealand, Finland and Germany also finishing in the top 10.

Countries perceived to provide a lower quality of life perform most poorly in areas concerning personal safety and economic opportunity., followed by Iran , Lebanon , followed by Jordan , Ukraine, Serbia and Azerbaijan are at the bottom of the quality of life ranking. Azerbaijan finishes last for its public education system, while Lebanon places last for safety.