A study by The Latin America Travel Co. ranks nations based on a number of factors including human rights protections, animal welfare, gender equality and more.

The index is designed to measure destinations on morality and ethicality. The index ranks nations based on the enthusiasm with which ethically minded travelers might want to visit them. In order to decide which categories were most important to consider in the study, researchers used blog posts, surveys, social media, polls and more to find the most important factors.

The final product includes human rights protections, animal welfare, gender equality, workers’ rights, global peace index and positive well-being feeling.

According to the index, Germany ranks as the most desirable destination for ethically minded travelers, scoring 29 out of a possible 30. Germany came away with the highest-possible animal welfare score. Following Germany, Austria, Iceland, the Netherlands and New Zealand round out the top five countries. Canada ranks No. 6 while the United States comes in at 21. The lowest-ranking countries in the index include Afghanistan, the Central African Republic and Yemen.

In order to determine where the nations should fit on the index, the organization utilized a number of studies, surveys and more to identify the merits and problems in each nation. The biggest factor when determining where nations rank is the human rights protections category, followed by animal welfare scores.

View the entire study online and see where your nation ranks.

When you travel, do you keep these ethical concerns in mind? Tell us. Email us at letters@globaltravelerusa.com. Please include your full name and location.