Compare how 1,286 institutions recognize and reduce suffering
Governments, corporations, AI labs, robotics labs, and cities — all ranked on the same 8-dimension, 0–100 ruler, sourced from public evidence, free to browse.
The benchmark uses identical criteria across all 8 indexes. A score of 50 means the same thing whether it appears in the Countries Index or the Fortune 500 Index — enabling direct comparison across sectors for the first time.
Three ways to start
| Goal | Where to go |
|---|---|
| Browse rankings | Pick an index below — all free |
| Understand the method | Read the Methodology page |
| Read today's briefing | Go to Daily Briefing |
| Search a specific entity | Use entity search below |
| Get a research report | Purchase Research catalog |
Public rankings are independent. Paid products support access and interpretation — never paid score changes.
Daily briefing — July 22, 2026
Fourteen scores hold steady overnight, while a device recall leaves Baxter International's score unresolved.
Methodology
Every score in every index is built on the same 8-dimension, 40-subdimension framework — with publicly documented anchor scales, an evidence hierarchy, and a human approval gate. Read the full methodology to understand what a score means before you cite it.
Look up any entity
Search across all 1,286 benchmarked entities — countries, corporations, AI labs, robotics labs, U.S. states, and cities. Use ?entity=name in the URL to link directly to any entity.
How to read every index
All 8 indexes share one framework: 8 dimensions, 40 subdimensions, scored 0–100, assigned to one of five bands. The composite score is directly comparable across all indexes — a 59 in Countries means the same as a 59 in Fortune 500. Search results, index cards, and entity pages all use this common ruler.
How to read the scores
The 0–100 scale — five bands
Every entity — state, corporation, AI lab, robotics lab, or city — is scored 0–100 across 8 dimensions and 40 subdimensions. The composite score places the entity in one of five bands:
The 8 dimensions
Each dimension is scored 1–5 across 5 subdimensions (40 subdimensions total), then converted to a 0–100 composite. A score of 1.0 on a subdimension represents the minimum anchor; 5.0 is exemplary conduct.
Scores are based on public evidence — government reports, regulatory filings, independent audits, judicial findings, and verifiable third-party records. Entities never pay for inclusion, score changes, or suppression of findings. Full methodology
Mean compassion score by index — 2026 (which index should I open first?)
Each bar shows the mean composite score across all entities in that index. Sorted highest to lowest. Band color reflects the mean band. Reference line at the overall cross-index mean (42.2).
Source: Compassion Benchmark · CC-BY
Current indexes
Eight index families. All 1,286 entities — governments, companies, AI labs, robotics labs, cities, and universities — scored on the same 8-dimension, 0–100 ruler, making cross-sector comparison possible.
Countries Index
193 countries and territories on the same ruler as every other index.
Mean score 36.4 — countries show the widest band spread of any index; the Critical cluster reflects sustained documented harm patterns.
View Countries Index →
U.S. States Index
51 entities. Same 8-dimension ruler as every other index.
Mean score 45.4 — U.S. public systems sit in the Functional band with notable equity gaps across healthcare access and accountability.
View index →
Fortune 500 Index
448 entities. Same 8-dimension ruler as every other index.
Mean score 39.1 — major corporations cluster in Developing; labor, equity, and accountability gaps are the primary scoring drivers.
View index →
AI Labs Index
50 entities. Same 8-dimension ruler as every other index.
Mean score 43.4 — AI labs sit in Functional on average; the widest spread of any index, from Critical to Exemplary, reflects divergent safety postures.
View index →
Humanoid Robotics Labs Index
50 entities. Same 8-dimension ruler as every other index.
Mean score 56.7 — the highest-mean index; robotics labs score well on awareness and intent but show gaps on governance and deployment risk.
View index →
U.S. Cities Index
144 entities. Same 8-dimension ruler as every other index.
Mean score 38.1 — U.S. cities span Critical to Functional; housing, homelessness response, and public health access are the most variable dimensions.
View index →
Global Cities Index
250 entities. Same 8-dimension ruler as every other index.
Mean score 32.6 — the lowest-mean index; global cities track closely with their national government scores, especially on equity and accountability.
View index →
Universities Index
100 entities. Same 8-dimension ruler as every other index.
Mean score 46.2 — universities score in the Functional band on average; equity access and boundary accountability are the most variable dimensions across institutions.
View index →
The first published Compassion Benchmark research report is live
The 2026 Countries Compassion Benchmark Index is now available for direct purchase as the first published flagship digital report from Compassion Benchmark.
This Individual Research License edition goes beyond the public countries page and includes the complete benchmark PDF with full rankings, methodology, key findings, regional analysis, highest-performer themes, and structural concerns shaping the lowest-performing countries.
- Complete 2026 countries benchmark report
- Individual Research License digital edition
- Full rankings, findings, and interpretive analysis
- Instant online purchase and delivery through Gumroad
2026 Countries Compassion Benchmark Index
$195
Single-user digital research report
- Designed for researchers, journalists, students, and policy professionals
- Immediate digital access after purchase
- Personal research use
- No redistribution or resale
Assess your organization
Organizations that want to move from public benchmark visibility into structured self-review or formal assessment work can start here.
Public benchmark first. Premium depth when needed.
Every index page is designed to stand on its own as a public benchmark publication. Organizations that need more can purchase premium reports, license benchmark data, request interpretive support, or engage in structured assessment and enterprise relationships. The first of these premium report products is now live: the 2026 Countries Compassion Benchmark Index.
How the benchmark stays free and funded
- Public benchmark pages: freely accessible rankings and findings
- Premium reports: professional PDF and bundled benchmark products
- Data licensing: structured datasets and usage rights
- Advisory: interpretation, peer comparison, and strategic guidance
- Certified assessments: formal review services
- Enterprise agreements: recurring institutional relationships
Independence policy
- Entities do not pay to be included in indexes
- Entities do not pay to improve a score or rank
- Public index publication is independent of commercial services
- Paid offerings support access, analysis, review, and institutional use
- The benchmark is designed to be difficult to game
Go deeper with benchmark products
Move from public rankings into professional reports, licensed data, advisory interpretation, certified assessments, and enterprise access.
Buy the 2026 Countries Index
Purchase the first published Compassion Benchmark digital report directly as an Individual Research License edition.
Purchase Research
Browse benchmark reports by year and target area, including premium PDF formats, appendices, and bundled publications.
License Benchmark Data
Access structured benchmark datasets for internal analysis, research workflows, and institutional intelligence use.
Book Advisory Support
Translate benchmark findings into peer comparison, strategic interpretation, executive discussion, and action priorities.
Request a Certified Assessment
Move from public benchmark visibility into a structured, assessor-led review process with findings and next steps.
Explore Enterprise Access
Combine reports, data, advisory, and recurring support into a broader enterprise benchmark relationship.
Indexes — frequently asked questions
What does the Compassion Benchmark measure across all indexes?
Are the 8 indexes directly comparable across sectors?
How often are index scores updated?
Do entities pay to be included or to improve their score?
What do the five bands mean — Critical, Developing, Functional, Established, Exemplary?
What is a composite score and how is it built?
Every index page is free to read. When you need more, go deeper.
Inclusion and scores are never for sale. Paid products cover access, interpretation, and licensing only.