Caribbean Nations excel in WCR 2025 rankings, fueled by strong Citizenship by Investment Programmes

CS Global Partners has recently launched  the 4th edition of the World Citizenship Report (WCR) that presents global citizenship through a strategic and data-based lens in a very changeable and political environment. Also this year WCR has introduced the theme of “The Human Condition as a Catalyst for Change” which delves into what alternative citizenship means, including safety, quality of life, financial freedom. 

Among the highlights in this year’s report is a closer study of the Caribbean region’s performance, where several countries continue to rank competitively due to their strong Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programmes and growing global relevance.

Micha-Rose Emmett, the CEO of CS Global Partners reported, "At its core, this report underscores a simple but profound truth: the human condition remains at the heart of all global shifts.” She further added, “While there may be no perfect country, the World Citizenship Index provides a strategic roadmap for families seeking to optimise their futures amidst uncertainty.”

The World Citizenship Index 2025

The 2025 report presents the what and why of citizenship from a very philosophical and practical perspective. It explored the reasons that caused people to migrate from their homeland and what makes others stay, especially when once stable countries become more dangerous, while many developing countries continue to improve their security and economic profiles.

The WCR evaluated 188 countries based on five key motivators: Safety and Security, Economic Opportunity, Quality of Life, Global Mobility, and Financial Freedom. These factors represented what global citizens value the most - security, prosperity, and personal freedom.

Download the World Citizenship Report 2025 by CS Global Partners

In addition, voters and high net-worth individuals (HNWIs) shared that they continue to prioritize Quality of Life, which includes healthcare, education, and environment at the top, followed by safety and security. 

In the case of Somalia, South Sudan, and Venezuela which have seen great political instability, economic crisis, and broken down social structures, these countries have fallen to the bottom of the list.  On the other hand, Norway, Germany, and Switzerland are now at the top, ranked 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively, getting recognized for their economic growth, high degrees of financial freedom, non political interference in business, and very high quality of life.  

Based on Livability, Safety and Financial Freedom, Switzerland has placed at number one with a score of 85 while Denmark and Australia placed in second and third respectively. This year Switzerland did particularly well in regard to livability which they attribute to their dynamic economy and also high degrees of Financial Freedom in addition to which they have very safe communities. 

As per the rankings based on ‘Safety and Security,’ which evaluates a country's governance, crime, and stability, Iceland came out on top, followed by Switzerland in second place and Denmark in third. Venezuela came at last as a result of its political and economic crises. 

Download the World Citizenship Report 2025 by CS Global Partners

At present, the Financial Freedom index reports which countries do best in terms of business and asset holders via stable and favourable regulatory frameworks. Denmark, Singapore and Finland took the top three spots in this category, while Venezuela was once again ranked at the bottom.

In 2024, Ireland had the best rank but has since dropped to 59th place in the report which is a result of a large drop in their Economic Opportunity score. Moreover, the UK fell from the top 10, moving from 6th to 12th place while the U.S. jumped from 22nd to 19th place. 

Rising BRICS and Shifting Geopolitics

The report provides current analysis of the BRICS, a group of five countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. This group is seeing growth in terms of economic and diplomatic power. Notably, China took the top spot for Economic Opportunity followed by the United States and India in the 2025 edition of the report.

This is a trend which shows that the world’s investors are thinking globally. They have chosen citizenship which offers the best of what is available and which stand for values that they believe in, not only that of access to wealth or mobility.

Importance of Alternative Citizenship

At present, the WCR reports that alternative citizenship is of great importance, as it is in fact a strategic requirement for families to navigate in a world full of contradictions. Also, people have found a second home as a more safe, stable and opportunity-rich tool for securing the future.

Notably, high-net-worth individuals in Europe and other developed economies are focusing mainly on investments and portfolio diversity along with wealth planning which is reported by 45.4% of Europeans as a key consideration. 

In contrast, in regions like Latin America, where the economy is unstable, affluent people primarily focus more towards finding good jobs instead of growing investment returns, with only 24.1 percent putting portfolios and planning at the top of their list.