Band 6+: Economic progress is often used to measure a country's success. However, some people believe that other factors are more important. What other factors should also be considered when measuring a country's success? Do you think one factor is more important than others?

A country has to meet numerous criteria to be allegedly regarded as successful. While a portion of the population contends that the economy would be a decisive factor determining whether a nation is prosperous or not, the others assert that the other elements should also be taken into consideration. This essay will pinpoint the other imperative factors as well as whether one factor is more paramount than remainders.

To commence, alongside economic elements, there are also a plethora of criteria deciding whether a country is flourishing or not, including the living conditions of that country. In other words, a successful nation is the one that can cater inhabitants for the bare necessities to meet their demands, which can foster the gross life satisfaction and inhabitants’ jubilation. Moreover, the education system is also one of the crucial considerations to judge a country’s success. To elaborate, the rapidly thriving development of education may also prove the adaptation to the knowledge-based economy of the governing authorities, helping them enhance the quality of future generations and workforce. Another noteworthy point is the quality of healthcare services as high life expectancy can be attributed to the modernization of healthcare and livable living standards. All of these considerations were used as criteria in HDI, one of the imperative rates considering a country’s development.

From my standpoint, the success of a country should be judged based on various aspects rather than just the economic factor. One of the major rationales is that without the other factors, the sustainability of the economy can be under threat. In other words, the absence of education enhancement can lead to the declining literacy rate, which can give rise to innumerable issues in the upcoming future, especially when the knowledge-based economy is gaining in popularity. Furthermore, not only does promoting the living standards foster inhabitants’ happiness but it also consolidates human faith in government, which is one of the paramount factors deciding country security. It can be easily seen that in diverse developed countries, including Japan, the US, the UK and among others, they customarily pay attention to education and healthcare services.

In conclusion, a nation can be assessed by a plethora of factors alongside the economy, including healthcare, education, and living conditions. In addition, personally, I hold the belief that no factor is far more superior to the remainders.