The Intelligence from The Economist Country of the year: The Economist’s pick for 2025
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Dec 19, 2025 
Chris Lockwood, Deputy Foreign Editor at The Economist, introduces the rigorous selection process for Country of the Year. Josie DeLapp makes a compelling case for Syria, highlighting political changes and humanitarian improvements following Assad's overthrow. Hal Hodson argues for Argentina, showcasing its economic reforms and declining poverty. The debate weighs the significance of humanitarian gains against economic progress, ultimately leading to Syria being named the winner for its substantial strides in safety and stability.
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What 'Improved' Really Means
- Country of the Year rewards measurable improvement, not overall greatness or influence.
- The Economist weighs economic, political, cultural and geopolitical changes year-by-year.
How Contenders Were Chosen
- Chris Lockwood describes soliciting nominations from the whole paper, producing hobby-horse picks like Moldova.
- He then narrowed suggestions through discussion, shortlists and a final vote to pick contenders.
Avoiding Mere Survival As Progress
- High nomination volume for Canada masked that it had not meaningfully improved, only avoided collapse.
- The team rejected countries that had merely resisted decline rather than made clear gains.