27.7 Overall Score

United States

Data as of Aug 1
Next 》

33.7 Public Health
Directives
16.7 Financial
Response
40 Fact-Based
Communication

33.7 Public Health
Directives
16.7 Financial
Response
40 Fact-Based
Communication

Still battling widespread COVID-19 cases and deaths, which were exacerbated by the former administration's limited use of facts and science, limited emergency healthcare spending, and limited debt relief, the Biden administration, by contrast, is taking aggressive action to combat the virus, although it may take time for the score to reflect these changes.

Pre-COVID Conditions

Despite high wealth, the United States suffers from high debt, low numbers of hospital beds, and a fairly unequal society, driving its score down.

Debt/GDP ratio 106.9%
GDP/capita $67,427
Gini coefficient (out of 100) 41.4
Infant mortality rate (out of 1,000 live births) 6
Healthcare access score (out of 100) 81.3
Hospital beds/1,000 People 20.4

Government Response

Select a data point for more information
(Data points represent policy level as of Aug 1.)

33.7

Public Health Directives

The United States’ public health policy is relatively weak, and it consistently scores in this range across all areas.

Stay at home order 0
Public gathering restrictions 0
School closings 0
Public event cancellations 0
Testing policy 0
Emergency healthcare investments/capita $1220.53
Travel restrictions 2
Tests/1,000 people 2.4
Contact tracing 1

16.7

Financial Response

The United States’ financial response has been very weak, with its score pulled down mainly by weak debt-relief policy.

Financial stimulus as share of GDP 13.9%
Income support 2
Debt forebearance 1

Fact-Based Communication

The United States government is at the median in this category, as it has engaged in misinformation as much as any country in the Index, though it has not limited press freedom in response to COVID-19.

Reliance on science/fact based information 5
Press freedom 0

COVID-19 Status as of Aug 1

The United States’ case rate, the highest in the Index, and likely impacted by its poor public health policy and its leaders’ routine neglect of facts in public communications, results in a very weak score in this category.

Total deaths 153,314
Death rate per 100K 463.2
Total cases 4,562,037
Cases per 100K 13,783
Percent of positive tests 7.9

Daily cases Level 2 Lockdown

Differentiating Factors

$2.2 trillion relief bill provided support: In March, the U.S. government passed a $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief bill which included one-time payments of up to $1200 to any American earning below $99,000. Read More
Record-breaking unemployment: Reaching a previously unsurpassed record of new unemployment claims per week in early July, jobless claims continue to threaten recovery. Read More
Trump continues touting misinformation: President Trump has been repeatedly criticized at home and abroad for amplifying misinformation and conspiracy theories about the virus; he notably claimed that 99 percent of cases are 'harmless' during a speech on July 4th celebrating American independence. Read More

Compared with Other Western Hemisphere Countries

77.7
Canada 116,298
Cases 3,081
Per 1M 8,935
Deaths

Canada has a relatively strong score, with poor public health policy countered by a continued reliance on fact-based communication.
41
Mexico 424,637
Cases 3,294
Per 1M 46,688
Deaths

Mexico's score has deteriorated over time, due primarily to its extremely weak financial response and relatively weak public health policy, including very limited testing.
69.5
Argentina 185,360
Cases 4,101
Per 1M 3,466
Deaths

Argentina’s strong policy score is mainly due to its strong political response, characterized by clear, fact-based communication and regular press briefings by President Fernandez.
42.3
Brazil 2,662,485
Cases 12,526
Per 1M 92,475
Deaths

Brazil has a relatively weak score, primarily due to its poor public health policies, especially its very low levels of testing, coupled with President Bolsonaro’s spreading of misinformation about the virus.

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Statistics and government response factors available on each country profile include:

Pre-COVID Conditions:

Debt to GDP ratio
Infant mortality rates
Hospital beds per 1,000 people
Gini coefficients measuring inequality
Health access and quality

COVID-19 Public Health Directives:

Stay-at home orders
School-closing policy
Public-gathering restrictions
Cancellation of public events
Testing policy and rates per 1,000 people
Emergency healthcare spending per capita
Travel restrictions
Contact tracing

COVID-19 Financial Response:

Stimulus package as a share of GDP
Income support
Debt-forbearance

Public Communications:

Instances of misinformation by leadership
Limitations on press freedom, censorship

Current/Historic In-Country COVID-19 Status:

Death rates per 1 million
Case rates per 1 million