What makes a country truly rich? The instinctive answer ~ high salaries and a large economy ~ is no longer sufficient. Prosperity in the 21st century demands a more layered understanding. It’s not just about what people earn, but what they can buy with that money, how long they have to work for it, and how much life remains outside of labour. Some nations may boast eye-watering average incomes, but when adjusted for local prices, those figures lose their sheen. Others stretch the value of a modest salary further, enabling a quality of life that belies the raw numbers. A third lens ~ perhaps the most revealing ~ asks how much is earned per hour worked, giving us a glimpse into the balance between productivity and personal time.

Viewed through these three prisms, a surprising trio emerges at the top: Switzerland, Singapore, and Norway. Switzerland leads in nominal income, its wages........

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