The list, published by the United Nations Development Programme, is compiled according to projected life expectancy, education, and income.
This year, Estonia ranks 33rd, followed by Poland (39), Latvia (44), Belarus (50) and Russia (55). Besides Latvia, Lithuania ranks better than Portugal (43), Romania (56), and Bulgaria (57).
A year ago, Lithuania ranked 40th.
Norway tops the list this year, followed by Australia and the United States. Meanwhile, African countries of Niger, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Mozambique are at the bottom.