The Republic of Ireland emerged as the top-scoring nation in citizenship rankings this year. CS Global Partners has released the third edition of the annual CS Global Partners World Citizenship Report that combines its analysis of Safety and Security, Economic Opportunity, Quality of Life, Global Mobility and Financial Freedom with high-level contributions.

This year’s top scorer in citizenship rankings, the Republic of Ireland, notably scored highly for its safe and stable society, growing economy, and financial freedom.

Last year’s top scorer (ranked third on this year’s WCR), Denmark, also received top marks for Quality of Life, Financial Freedom, and Safety and Security.

Similar to last year’s edition of the World Citizenship Report, the Quality of Life pillar was ranked most important among the five pillars, according to our survey of HNWIs.

Indeed, the Quality of Life pillar considers a nation’s ability to give its citizens the things necessary for a high standard of living, including environmental quality, educational quality and healthcare quality.

The Safety and Security motivator assesses a country’s social safety and security metrics, from governance to crime and beyond, considering the safety net the country provides against instability and disorder.

The World Citizenship Report remains the flagship analysis of the most pressing issues facing global citizens. The World Citizenship Report’s theme this year is responsibility amid electoral change. Exploring the intersection between choice and obligation, the Report is a data-driven approach to understanding citizenship given the backdrop of electoral change.

‘We expect to see considerable change in the global landscape. Elections will bring about change, with the hope of positive innovation and a chance for enhanced geopolitical stability. The 2024 World Citizenship Report is an improvement from previous editions, as we confront global challenges faced by global citizens head-on. Our Report has never been more relevant and important,’ says Micha Emmett, CEO of CS Global Partners.

The World Citizenship Report is the world’s first-ever endeavour to investigate the value of citizenship through the lens of the global citizen.

Moving beyond typical concepts of passport strength, the World Citizenship Index recognizes the many reasons that people leave their countries – or the many reasons that they stay. This report is distinguished by placing a greater emphasis on the diverse attitudes regarding the key facets of citizenship.

The 2024 World Citizenship Report measures 188 countries against five motivators that are relevant amongst HNWIs. Across the seven continents, many nations unexpectedly outshone their larger and more economically developed counterparts by performing well in each motivator.

The five motivators that global citizens care most about are:

Safety and Security
Economic Opportunity
Quality of Life
Global Mobility, and
Financial Freedom.

The Financial Freedom motivator measures the ability of a country to provide a favourable and stable regulatory climate for the establishment and functioning of businesses, as well as the holding of personal and business assets.

The World Citizenship Report survey of HNWIs found that in Europe and other economically more developed regions, HNWIs place greater emphasis on investments, portfolio diversification and wealth planning when considering second citizenship.

45.4 per cent of Europeans noted this as a priority. In contrast, regions such as Latin America which feature less robust economies emphasise work opportunities more than investments. Only 24.1 per cent of Latin Americans noted investments, portfolio diversification and wealth planning as a priority.