Bulgaria climbs up 6 positions in the Global Prosperity Index 2017

Bulgaria ranks 51st out of 149 countries in the 11th edition of the London Research Institute Legatum – Legatum Prosperity Index. The country climbs by 6 positions from 57 last year.  

Bulgaria performed best in Natural Environment and Safety & Security and scored lowest in the Social Capital Pillar index. The biggest improvement, compared to last year, came in Economic Quality pillar, whereas the country moves on by 16 places. The country scores lowest on the Social Capital pillar. The Bulgarian profile is available at http://www.prosperity.com/globe/bulgaria, a comparison tool with any other chosen country is also available.

Over 11 years already, the Legatum Prosperity Index evaluates long-term changes in global prosperity, highlighting the drivers of progress and the nations that have made most impressive steps forward. The Institute compares 104 indicators like per-capita gross domestic product and the number of people in full-time work, but also more interesting variable such as the number of secure internet servers a country has, and how well people feel on a day-to-day basis or how willing are they to help other people or to contribute to charities.

All variables are then split into nine pillars: economic quality, business environment, governance, personal freedom, social capital, safety and security, education, health, and natural environment.

The 2017 ranks Norway number one, second is New Zealand, and third is Finland. The ranking table with all 149 countries is available at http://www.prosperity.com/rankings. Here are some of the key general findings of the 2017 index:

• World prosperity overall score increased at a record high in 2017 and now sits at its highest level in the last decade. It is now 2.6% higher than in 2007 and prosperity growth has been faster from 2012 to 2017 than it was from 2007 to 2012. However, the gap between the highest and lowest scores in the Index has increased for five straight years, indicating that while prosperity as a whole may be increasing, not all countries are yet benefiting from the increase.
• While prosperity improved around the world in 2017, no region grew as fast as Asia-Pacific. It is now easier to access credit, and intellectual property rights have improved in India, China, Pakistan and Indonesia where business environment is improving very fast.
• Every region in the world improved in Governance in 2017, judiciaries became more independent from state interference and the process of challenging governmental regulation became easier. People also became more confident in the outcome of elections.
• For the first time in the Index, Western European prosperity is higher than in North America. Western European prosperity remained broadly constant; but North America fell faster than any other region, due to an increase in the number of homicides and greater societal pressure on citizens’ freedom of religion.
• Despite gains in Social Capital and a strengthening Business Environment, overall prosperity in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has suffered in recent years through worsening Safety and Security. Casualties from both war and terrorism have increased, along with a rise in state-sponsored violence.

Visit the ranking website here http://www.prosperity.com/ or download the full pdf report.