China defeated the country and took the top position with a score of 89.3, while Ireland ranked third with 80.3.
The ranking places the US among the leading jurisdictions for economic opportunity despite its 16th-place position overall in the World Citizenship Report of the CS Global Partners. The report assesses 188 jurisdictions across five motivators: Safety and Security, Economic Opportunity, Quality of Life, Global Mobility and Financial Freedom.
Notably, the USA Spotlight 2026 is a flagship of our annual World Citizenship Report 2026.
The ranking has showcased that the country is losing its power and monopoly on the world due to several policies. Even the wealthy individuals from the country are also looking for several alternative options including the Citizenship Programmes of the Caribbean region, aiming to secure their long-term future.
US HNWIs Losing Confidence in Economy
According to the USA Spotlight 2026, confidence among wealthy Americans is showing signs of pressure, with only around one-third of mass affluent respondents saying they are very confident that their existing citizenship will provide the same level of security and opportunity over the next decade.
The report also found that a competitive economy was the issue respondents most frequently identified as an area where their government was failing them, cited by 45.4% of those surveyed. This comes despite the US continuing to rank strongly for economic opportunity, placing second globally with a score of 81.3 in the World Citizenship Index 2026.
The findings point to a distinction between the US’s current economic position and expectations about the future. While America remains among the highest-ranked jurisdictions for Economic Opportunity, a significant share of affluent respondents appear less certain that their existing citizenship will provide the same security and opportunities in the years ahead.
This uncertainty is also reflected in attitudes towards additional citizenship. 71.6% of mass affluent respondents said they were more likely to consider an additional citizenship in response to global events, compared with only 2.7% who were less inclined.
US places second behind China
China led the Economic Opportunity ranking with a score of 89.3, followed by the US at 81.3 and Ireland at 80.3. India ranked fourth with 79.9, while Indonesia completed the top five with 76.9.
The US Spotlight 2026 links Economic Opportunity to the factors that people consider when deciding where to build a life, establish a business or raise a family. It says the pillar is multidimensional, with developed markets such as the US, Ireland, Japan and the UK continuing to feature in the upper tier.
While the US secured second place for Economic Opportunity, the report noted that it did not lead any of the five individual motivators measured by the Index. Singapore led Global Mobility and Financial Freedom, Germany topped Quality of Life, and Iceland led Safety and Security.
US overall ranking
The strong Economic Opportunity score contrasts with the country’s performance across the other four pillars. The US recorded an overall score of 76.8, placing it 16th among the 188 jurisdictions assessed. It ranked 73rd for Safety and Security, 21st for Quality of Life, 13th for Global Mobility and 26th for Financial Freedom.
The report’s findings suggest that the US retains significant strengths as an economic jurisdiction while its overall position is shaped by performance across a broader set of factors.
Economic opportunity remains a key consideration
The Economic Opportunity ranking comes as the report identifies business and professional opportunity as the leading present-day motivation for people considering an additional citizenship.
Among respondents surveyed for the World Citizenship Report, 29.9% identified business and professional opportunity as their primary motivation, ahead of investment diversification at 24.5% and tax efficiency and wealth structuring at 22.3%.
The report also found that 71.6% of mass affluent respondents were more likely to consider an additional citizenship in response to global events, while only 2.7% said they were less inclined to do so.
Against this backdrop, the US’s second-place position for Economic Opportunity highlights the country’s continued standing as a major destination for business and professional activity, even as the wider citizenship ranking shows a more mixed performance across the factors measured by the Index.
