Wealth of Nations Index 2026 finds that most governments now deliver less value for citizens’ money than a decade ago

Warsaw / Brussels – A new international ranking delivers an uncomfortable message for governments across the developed world: public sectors are becoming larger and more expensive, but citizens are often receiving less in return.

The Wealth of Nations Index 2026, prepared by the Warsaw Enterprise Institute together with 20 partner think tanks from around the world, shows that in 27 out of 40 countries the state delivers less value for public money than it did in 2015. The United States, Norway and Switzerland remain at the top of the ranking, while Romania, Croatia, Greece and Bulgaria stand out as the decade’s most notable climbers.