Like last year, the Central American neighbors were ranked the least inclusive. The countries are two of the principal senders of the young migrants who are causing a humanitarian crisis at the US-Mexican border.
Guatemala came in last place. It ranked near the bottom on economic growth and spending on social programs and finished last for women’s rights. The country, which has long suffered high levels of inequality, received low marks for its treatments of minorities, a group largely made up by indigenous Maya.
Honduras, surprisingly, had one of the highest percentages of GDP spent on social programs, largely because of its education programs. That does not help children stay in school, however, as fewer than half of young males were enrolled in secondary school. The country also saw a deterioration of civil rights, compared with last year.
