📊 About Find My Country

Ever wondered which countries might actually fit your lifestyle and values? Find My Country combines data from multiple trusted global sources—economics, culture, governance—and helps you explore the world through the lens of what matters most to you. Curious how it works? Dive in! We've designed this system to be transparent, realistic, and endlessly fascinating for those who love understanding the "why" behind the numbers.

🗄️ Data Sources

We aggregate and analyze data from multiple authoritative sources to ensure comprehensive and accurate country profiles:

🏛️ World Bank Open Data

Coverage: 250+ countries

Metrics: PPP (Purchasing Power Parity), Income Classification, Economic Indicators

Use: Economic opportunity, cost of living, development indicators

Visit World Bank Data →

🧠 Hofstede Cultural Dimensions

Coverage: 111 countries

Metrics: 6 cultural dimensions including Individualism, Power Distance, Masculinity, Uncertainty Avoidance, Long-Term Orientation, Indulgence

Use: Work-life balance, social structures, cultural compatibility, freedom levels

Visit Hofstede Insights →

🗺️ CIA World Factbook

Coverage: 190+ countries

Metrics: Population, geography, government type, economic data, demographics

Use: Comprehensive country profiles, government systems, geographic characteristics

Visit CIA World Factbook →

📈 Additional Sources (when available)

UN Human Development Index: Quality of life, education, life expectancy

World Happiness Report: Wellbeing metrics, social support, freedom

Fragile States Index: Political stability, governance quality

🧮 How Scoring Works

⚠️ Understanding Our Realistic Scoring System

Our scoring system is intentionally conservative and realistic. We use ultra-aggressive quintic scaling (x^5) to ensure scores reflect genuine compatibility, not inflated optimism.

Step 1: Data Collection & Normalization

For each country, we:

  1. Extract relevant metrics from all available data sources
  2. Map data to specific questions (e.g., Hofstede's Individualism → Q1: Individual vs Collective preference)
  3. Normalize all values to a consistent 1-10 scale
  4. Handle missing data transparently (neutral 5/10 score with flagging)

Step 2: Question Mapping Intelligence

Each question is intelligently mapped to relevant data sources:

Question Type Primary Data Source Calculation Method
Individualism Hofstede IDV Direct normalization (10-95 scale)
Work-Life Balance Hofstede MAS + IVR (100 - MAS + IVR) / 2
Economic Opportunity World Bank Income Group Tiered: High=9, Upper-Mid=7, Lower-Mid=4, Low=2
Freedom/Liberty Hofstede PDI + IDV (100 - PDI + IDV) / 2
Social Support Hofstede IDV (inverted) High collectivism = strong community
Political Stability Income Group (proxy) Higher income typically = more stable

Step 3: Cosine Similarity Calculation

We use Cosine Similarity to measure alignment between your preferences and each country's profile:

similarity = (A·B) / (||A|| × ||B||)

Where:
  A = Your preference vector [9, 8, 7, 6, 5, ...]
  B = Country score vector [7, 9, 8, 5, 6, ...]

Result: Value between -1 (opposite) and 1 (identical)

Why Cosine Similarity? Unlike Euclidean distance which measures absolute differences, cosine similarity focuses on the pattern of preferences. If you and a country both prioritize similar factors (even at different intensities), you'll still get a good match.

Step 4: Ultra-Aggressive Quintic Scaling (x^5)

This is where our system becomes brutally honest:

Linear Scaling (x¹)

90% similarity → 90% score

Problem: Too generous, unrealistic

Cubic Scaling (x³)

90% similarity → 73% score

Better, but still clustered high

Quintic Scaling (x^5) ✓

90% similarity → 59% score

Realistic, honest, wide distribution

normalized = (similarity - min) / (max - min)
exponential = normalized ^ 5  (quintic power)
final_score = 10 + (exponential × 75)  [Range: 10-85%]

Step 5: Score Interpretation

Score Range Rating What It Means
75-85% 🏆 Outstanding Exceptionally rare, nearly perfect alignment - top 1-3 countries
60-74% ⭐ Excellent Very strong match, highly compatible - top 5-10 countries
45-59% ✓ Good Solid match with manageable differences - worth serious consideration
30-44% ~ Moderate Some alignment, notable compromises needed
15-29% △ Fair Significant differences, major compromises required
10-14% ✗ Poor Fundamental misalignment, not recommended

🎯 Key Insight: Realistic Expectations

Don't expect scores above 70%! Our system is designed to be honest. A 55-65% score represents a genuinely good match that's worth exploring. Scores above 75% are exceptionally rare and indicate near-perfect alignment.

This isn't like school grades where 90% is expected. Think of it like dating compatibility - even great matches require compromise and adjustment. A 60% match means you're highly compatible on major factors.

📊 Data Quality & Transparency

Missing Data Handling

We're transparent about data limitations:

Question-by-Question Transparency

Every country result includes an expandable section showing:

🔬 Methodology Rationale

Why Quintic (x^5) Scaling?

We chose ultra-aggressive scaling because:

  1. Realism: No country is perfect for anyone - compromises are inevitable
  2. Differentiation: Separates truly excellent matches from merely good ones
  3. Honesty: Prevents false confidence from inflated scores
  4. Decision-making: Forces critical evaluation of trade-offs
  5. Expectation management: Users understand that relocation involves compromise

Why Multiple Data Sources?

Single-source data can be:

By combining World Bank (economics), Hofstede (culture), CIA Factbook (government), and others, we create a comprehensive, multi-dimensional profile of each country.

🚀 Future Improvements

We're constantly working to improve. Planned enhancements include:

📧 Contact & Feedback

Have questions, suggestions, or found an issue? We'd love to hear from you!

Take the Quiz Now →