London – A new United States Prosperity Index, published by the Legatum Institute, reveals that Nebraska is the 16th most prosperous state in America with strong social capital and economic quality, but performs poorly on natural environment, ranking last for quality of freshwater resources.

The USPI is the first comprehensive assessment of the economic, institutional and social aspects of prosperity across all 50 states plus Washington, D.C.

The index allows state policymakers to find areas of opportunity for better prosperity, which reaches beyond the financial into the political, judicial, wellbeing and character of a nation to create an environment where people can reach their full potential. A nation is prosperous when it has an open economy, an inclusive society with strong institutions, and empowered people who are healthy, educated and safe, according to a news release from the London-based, anti-poverty think tank.

The index shows that Nebraska ranks ninth in the country for economic quality, which measures how well a state’s economy is equipped to generate wealth sustainably and with the full engagement of its workforce. Like many of the states in the Midwest, it has seen an improvement in labor force engagement over the past decade and is now ranked third. However, there is room for improvement in its business environment (where Nebraska ranks 29th), which measures factors such as the entrepreneurial environment, access to credit, and labor market flexibility, with Nebraska ranking low for burden of regulation (ranking 47th).

Nebraska ranks seventh for social capital, which measures the strength of personal and social relationships, social norms and civic participation. The state also ranks eighth in health, with 80% of respondents giving their hospitals a score of nine or higher on a scale of 10, and ninth in education, performing well at both primary and secondary level.

However, there is room for improvement. Nebraska comes in 41st for natural environment. Read the report, and compare Nebraska to other states, at its website, usprosperity.net.

– Legatum Institute