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Estonia, Slovenia tops for prosperity in Central-East Europe

Strong personal freedom deterioration in Hungary, report said

25 November, 18:31
(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 25 NOV - Estonia and Slovenia are the best ranked countries in Central- and Eastern Europe in terms of general prosperity according to the news "Prosperity Index 2019", produced by the think tank Legatum Institute and released today.

The study, published for 13 years in a row with the help of over 100 experts and advisors, takes into account several factors and aspects of private and economic life: among them, safety and security, personal freedom, governance, social capital, investment environment, enterprise conditions, market access and infrastructure, living conditions, health, education and natural environment. Estonia ranked 21st and Slovenia 27th in the index of prosperity - better than Italy (30th) and Greece (42nd). Denmark (1st) is the strongest performing country and tops 2019 Prosperity Index. In the general ranking, which includes almost 170 countries, Estonia and Slovenia are followed by Czechia (28) Slovakia (32), Lithuania (33), Latvia (35), Poland (36), Croatia (45), Hungary (46), Romania (47), Bulgaria (49), Montenegro (50), Serbia (52), North Macedonia (54), Albania (65), Bosnia and Herzegovina (70), Moldova (81) and Ukraine (96).

"Eastern Europe is the second most improved region over the past decade, yet has improved less than the global average," the study said, adding that "the reduction in the burden of regulation is driving the improvement in enterprise conditions, with Ukraine experiencing the greatest reduction in the burden of regulation of any country across the world." In general, "living conditions improved in every country in the region," in particular in Moldova, in the past decade. However, "personal freedom in Eastern Europe deteriorated more than in any other region," with Hungary experiencing "the greatest deterioration of any country, with significant reductions in the freedoms of assembly, association, and speech - characteristic of region-wide trends." Among the six countries of the Western Balkans still out of the European Union, Montenegro (50 in the global ranking) reached the best position, moving up the rankings by two places since 2009. In general, Balkan countries ranked low in particular in terms of protection of the natural environment and social capital. Montenegro, the Legatum Institute said, currently "performs most strongly in Safety & Security and Investment Environment but is weakest in Natural Environment. The biggest improvement compared to a decade ago came in Social Capital." Serbia (52) moved up the rankings table by nine places in a decade, in particular for enterprise conditions. North Macedonia (54) moved up only one place since 2009, while Albania (65), has moved up six positions, in particular due to good results in the education sector and in safety and security, while the country still performs poorly for enterprise conditions. Bosnia and Herzegovina (70) is the only country that moved down, by one place, in the prosperity index since 2009, the Legatum Institute underlined. Kosovo was not included in the study.

On a global level, "prosperity continues to improve, but the gap between the strongest and weakest performing countries continues to widen," the study said. According to the Legatum Institute, "of the 167 countries measured and tracked for prosperity in this year's index, 148 (containing 88% of the world's population) have seen an improvement in their prosperity since 2009." (ANSA).

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