Most Prosperous EU Countries by Prosperity Index

Key Takeaways

• Denmark ranks 3rd globally with a Prosperity Index score of 90.0, the highest in the EU. Sweden (rank 4, 89.4) and Ireland (rank 5, 89.1) are the only other EU countries in the global top five.
• Bulgaria ranks 54th globally with a score of 73.8, the lowest in the EU. It sits 16.2 points below Denmark and 51 places lower globally.
• The biggest prosperity divide in the EU runs east to west. Bulgaria and Romania rank at the bottom of the EU and have seen significant emigration of working-age adults since EU accession.
• Slovenia and the Czech Republic both rank above Germany on the Prosperity Index. Both score well on income equality and social cohesion, which pushes them ahead of larger economies.
• France (rank 23) and Italy (rank 30) rank far below the EU’s top cluster. Large economies score lower when wealth is not broadly distributed.

EU Countries Ranked by Prosperity Index Score

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The Atlantic Council’s Prosperity Index ranks 164 countries on six equally weighted indicators: income, health, education, environment, treatment of minorities, and inequality. It measures not just how wealthy a country is but how widely that wealth and wellbeing are shared.

Among the 27 EU member states, scores range from 90.0 to 73.8. That spread maps closely onto Europe’s east-west divide and yields a ranking order that differs substantially from the rankings in GDP per capita tables.

Three EU Countries Place in the Global Prosperity Top Five

Three EU countries place in the global top five:

• Denmark: 90.0 (rank 3)
• Sweden: 89.4 (rank 4)
• Ireland: 89.1 (rank 5)

Ireland’s placement is notable. Ireland is not a Nordic country, yet it sits in the EU’s top cluster and scores strongly across income, health, and equality.

Denmark, Sweden, and Ireland share a common structure. Each combines broad social services funded through high taxation with low corruption and strong institutional governance. These produce shared well-being that the index directly rewards.

Belgium (88.7), Finland (88.4), and the Netherlands (88.1) follow within two points. All six countries are from Northern or Western Europe.

The Widest Prosperity Gap in the EU Runs East to West

Bulgaria ranks 54th globally with a score of 73.8. Romania ranks 43rd with 76.5.

Bulgaria and Denmark belong to the same economic bloc. Despite this, they are 16.2 index points and 51 global ranks apart on the Prosperity Index.

Bulgaria and Romania rank at the bottom of the EU. Both countries have experienced significant emigration of working-age adults since EU accession.

Four countries form the next tier:

• Greece: 81.5 (rank 33)
• Poland: 80.8 (rank 34)
• Croatia: 79.9 (rank 36)
• Hungary: 79.0 (rank 39)

All four remain well below the EU midpoint.

Estonia is the main exception to the east-west pattern. It ranks 21st globally with a score of 84.2. Estonia outranks Spain (rank 22, 84.0) and France (rank 23, 83.7), and ranks highest among the three Baltic states.

Small EU Countries Outrank Germany on the Prosperity Index

The most striking pattern in the EU’s middle tier involves Slovenia, the Czech Republic, and Germany. Slovenia ranks 10th globally with a score of 87.9. The Czech Republic ranks 12th with 87.2. Germany ranks 13th with 87.1.

The Czech Republic sits just 0.1 points above Germany on the Prosperity Index. A country with a fraction of Germany’s economic output ranks above it on overall prosperity.

Slovenia and the Czech Republic score well on income equality and social cohesion. The Prosperity Index weights these equally alongside income. High scores on equality and social cohesion lift Slovenia and the Czech Republic above economies that generate more total wealth but distribute it less evenly.

The Prosperity Index rewards shared outcomes, not aggregate size. That distinction reshuffles the EU’s internal order. Small Central European countries outrank Europe’s largest economies. The east-west gap is wider than any north-south comparison within the bloc. Bulgaria’s rank of 54 places it 51 global positions below Denmark, within the same economic union. The gap reflects different capacities to translate economic activity into health, education, and equality for the whole population.