Country of the year: The Economist’s pick for 2025 - The Economist Podcasts Recap

Podcast: The Economist Podcasts

Published: 2025-12-19

Duration: 23 minutes

Guests: Chris Lockwood, Josie Delap, Hal Hodson

Summary

Syria has been named The Economist's Country of the Year for 2025, following a significant political transformation and improvement in living conditions, despite ongoing challenges.

What Happened

The episode begins with a recap of 2025's tumultuous events, highlighting global political changes such as Donald Trump's second term and Mark Carney's rise as Canada's Prime Minister. The Economist's annual Country of the Year selection process is explained by Chris Lockwood, who highlights the criteria of 'most improved' rather than 'best'. Despite many countries regressing due to geopolitical challenges, the contenders for 2025 included Canada, Brazil, South Korea, Syria, and Argentina.

Canada received the most nominations due to its stability under Mark Carney, but it was ultimately deemed not to have improved significantly. Brazil was noted for its political progress as former president Jair Bolsonaro was jailed, marking a shift in its democratic maturity. South Korea was also a strong contender, having navigated a political crisis and economic challenges, but its improvements were seen as recoveries from self-inflicted issues.

The final contenders were Syria and Argentina. Josie Delap argued for Syria, emphasizing the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad and the subsequent diplomatic and economic rebuilding under new leadership, despite ongoing sectarian tensions and governance issues. Hal Hodson presented Argentina's case, focusing on its economic turnaround under Javier Milei, who reduced inflation and poverty significantly through fiscal reforms.

Ultimately, Syria was chosen as the Country of the Year. Delap highlighted that while its government is not a model of democracy, the improvement in the lives of Syrians, moving from a state of fear and civil war to relative stability, was a compelling factor.

The episode also touched on the work of The Economist Educational Foundation, which aims to improve news literacy among students worldwide. This initiative is seen as vital for helping young people critically engage with global events, supported by the foundation's growth in participating schools and students.

Listeners are encouraged to support the work of The Economist Educational Foundation, which has made significant strides in educating students on news literacy, helping them understand and question the information they consume.

Key Insights