Analytics, Baltic States – CIS, EU – Baltic States, Markets and Companies, Rating

In 2012, Estonia was 35th, in 2011, 33rd, in 2010, 35th and in 2009, 31st. According to compilers, the fall was partly caused by the fact that in 2012, 32 new states were included in the index, two of which were placed higher than Estonia.

The results of the study are based in 90 indicators which are distributed into 8 groups: economy, conditions for doing business, state governance, education, healthcare, safety, personal freedom and social capital. An average of 1,588 people are polled in each state.

Estonia's best place this year was state governance, 25th and worst personal freedoms, 71st.

Estonia has dropped three places in overall prosperity to 35th in 2013.

The economy sub-index dropped thirteen places, to 65th, as a result of an increase in non-performing loans, a rise in unemployment, and a decrease in the satisfaction with living standards.

The safety & security sub-index increased by seven places, to 35th, because of a decrease in demographic pressures and assault rates, as well as an increase in the perception that people feel safe walking home at night.

Lithuania has kept its 43rd rank on overall Prosperity since 2009.

The Economy sub-index has moved down twenty-five places to 94th because of an increase in the unemployment rate and a decrease in the volatility-adjusted FDI as well as the satisfaction with living standards.

The Education sub-index has moved up by three places to 28th given a decrease in the pupil to teacher ratio and an increase in the secondary education per worker.

Latvia has dropped by four places on the overall Prosperity Index since 2009, ranking 48th in 2013.

The country's ranking for Personal Freedom dropped by twenty-nine places to 96th, mainly due to decreases in scores for the civil liberty, freedom of choice and tolerance of immigrants variables.

It is the fifth year in a row that the Norwegians have placed first, with Switzerland in second place, Canada in third, Sweden in fourth, and New Zealand rounding out the top five.

Some former Soviet countries scored relatively well in the index, including Kazakhstan (47), Belarus (58), Russia (61), Uzbekistan (63), and Ukraine (64).

Elsewhere, Iran is ranked at 101, Iraq at 130, and Afghanistan near the bottom at 139.

The Legatum Prosperity Index is a unique and robust assessment of global wealth and wellbeing, which benchmarks 142 countries around the world in eight distinct categories: Economy; Education; Entrepreneurship and Opportunity; Governance; Health; Personal Freedom; Safety and Security; and Social Capital.