Romania fell five spots and ranks 60 in the 2014 Prosperity Index, outranked by neighbors Bulgaria and Hungary as well as by Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan or Belize, according to British institute Legatum.
This is Romania’s worst ranking since 2009, except for 2012 when it also placed 60th.
There are several CEE countries ahead of Romania in the Index, including Slovenia (24), Czech Republic (29), Poland (31), Slovakia (35), Hungary (39), Bulgaria (48) and Croaţia (50).
Outside of the CEE region, Romania is less prospere than Trinidad Tobago (43), Thailand (51), Mongolia (52), Belarus (53), Kazakhstan (55), Vietnam (56), Uzbekistan (57), Belize (58) and Greece (59). On the other hand, the Index ranks Romania above Jamaica (61), Ukraine (63) and Montenegro (65).
Out of the 8 factors the index uses to rank the countries (economy, entrepreneurship, government, education, civil liberties, health, security, social capital), Romania scores the lowest points in terms of social capital and economy.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, Romania fares the best in terms of personal safety and national security.