The coveted spot of number one best country goes, somewhat controversially, to the island of Ireland. Not only did it grab the number one position in the overall rankings, but it also ranks first in the category of Prosperity and Equality. The country, which is in the process of bouncing back from an almost crippling recession, supports Fair Trade and has a strong presence of UN volunteers abroad. It also ranks within the international top 10 for categories such as Culture, World Order, and Health and Wellbeing. However, no country is perfect and even this number 1 nation has garnered some negative press for its approach to issues like sexual equality; Ireland’s largely Catholic constitution means it still lags behind many other European nations in terms of equal rights advancements.