• tal@lemmy.today
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    15
    arrow-down
    6
    ·
    1 year ago

    I would expect because the US is a large country. In general, if you rank something in non-absolute terms, splitting a country up will tend to result in the component parts that rank above the average showing up higher. If you split the US up into states and measure each individually, you’ll probably have some that rank above the US average index score and some that rank below the US average index score.

    If one scored Europe as an aggregate, it’d similarly rank below its top two highest-scoring countries.

    • llothar@lemmy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      8
      ·
      1 year ago

      This works both ways. In sure if you scooped Malmö out of Sweden it would pop up even higher. ;)

      No metric is perfect.

      • Throwaway@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        arrow-down
        3
        ·
        1 year ago

        Rhode Island probably. Nothing but a bunch of crusty old people and it’s tiny af.

    • crispy_kilt@feddit.de
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      1 year ago

      This works for Switzerland too, not all of our cantons are the same, just like your states. Removing the less innovative ones will make us rank even higher.

      • tal@lemmy.today
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        edit-2
        1 year ago

        That’s true. The smaller the division relative to another, the higher probability the count that at least some will tend to be above or below on a ranking list relative to the other.