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Sub-region of Europe · Country Index 2026

Eastern Europe

How are the countries of Eastern Europe doing?

Half of Eastern Europe’s 10 placed countries sit at or above 39th of 178 in the Country Index 2026, which places the region 7th of 21 sub-regions. Czechia is placed highest, 11th; Russia lowest, 68th. 4 reach the world’s top fifth.

Eastern EuropeUN M49 151

Eastern Europe, shown in red on a map of the world

39th

median position of 178 · 7th of 21 sub-regions

Europe →median 25th

01Who is in it

The countries of Eastern Europe

Alphabetical, with each country’s own banner photograph. The position is its place in the whole world ranking, never within the region.

02The region

About Eastern Europe

From Poland and Czechia east through Ukraine to Russia.

Eastern Europe, in the UN’s classification, runs from Poland, Czechia, Slovakia and Hungary east through Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Belarus and Ukraine to Russia, whose territory stretches across northern Asia to the Pacific. Much of it lies on the great European plain, bordered by the Carpathian Mountains and crossed by rivers such as the Vistula, the Dnieper, the Danube and the Volga.

Slavic peoples settled much of the region in the early Middle Ages, and it was shaped over the centuries by the Polish–Lithuanian, Habsburg, Ottoman and Russian states. After the Second World War most of it came under Soviet influence, and the changes of 1989 to 1991 brought new or restored independence to many of its countries. Slavic languages are spoken across most of the region, alongside Hungarian and Romanian.

03Where

Eastern Europe on the map

Each member shaded by its position in the Country Index 2026, darkest for the best placed; the countries across its land borders in grey. Hover a country for its position, or select it to open its profile.

Country Index position: 1st178thMember, not placedAcross the border, another regionNot a country this site tracks

04Country Index 2026

Where Eastern Europe’s countries place

Best placed first. Every position is a place in the whole world ranking of 178, never a second list within the region; “=” marks a position shared with another country. Hover the ⓘ for where a country would sit if any one key statistic were dropped.

The full Country Index 2026
Eastern Europe’s 10 placed countries by their Country Index 2026 position, best placed first.
In regionCountryIn the world1st178th
1Czechia11 / 178between 4th and 13th if any one key were dropped · standings on 15 of 16 topics
2Slovakia28 / 178between 24th and 30th if any one key were dropped · standings on 16 of 16 topics
3Poland30 / 178between 27th and 31st if any one key were dropped · standings on 16 of 16 topics
4Hungary33 / 178between 32nd and 34th if any one key were dropped · standings on 16 of 16 topics
5Romania39 / 178between 36th and 41st if any one key were dropped · standings on 16 of 16 topics
6Bulgaria43 / 178between 43rd and 44th if any one key were dropped · standings on 16 of 16 topics
7Moldova45 / 178between 43rd and 50th if any one key were dropped · standings on 16 of 16 topics
8Belarus53 / 178between 50th and 65th if any one key were dropped · standings on 15 of 16 topics
9Ukraine67 / 178between 62nd and 82nd if any one key were dropped · standings on 14 of 16 topics
10Russia68 / 178between 63rd and 77th if any one key were dropped · standings on 16 of 16 topics

Eastern Europe among the 21 sub-regions with a median

7th of 21. Nothing is weighted by population or size.

  1. Northern Europe6thPlaced countries run from Denmark 2nd to Latvia 25th.
  2. Western Europe10thPlaced countries run from Switzerland 1st to France 19th.
  3. Australia and New Zealand17thPlaced countries run from New Zealand 17th to Australia 24th.
  4. Northern America17thPlaced countries run from Canada 17th to United States 37th.
  5. Eastern Asia23rdPlaced countries run from South Korea 14th to Mongolia 73rd.
  6. Southern Europe32ndPlaced countries run from Slovenia 12th to Bosnia and Herzegovina 63rd.
  7. Eastern Europe39thPlaced countries run from Czechia 11th to Russia 68th.
  8. Polynesia70thPlaced countries run from Samoa 70th to Tonga 85th.
  9. South America74thPlaced countries run from Uruguay 34th to Venezuela 137th.
  10. Caribbean78thPlaced countries run from Barbados 63rd to Haiti 169th.
  11. Central America81stPlaced countries run from Costa Rica 40th to Nicaragua 134th.
  12. Western Asia93rdPlaced countries run from Cyprus 35th to Yemen 176th.
  13. South-eastern Asia95thPlaced countries run from Singapore 26th to Myanmar 153rd.
  14. Central Asia100thPlaced countries run from Kazakhstan 60th to Turkmenistan 148th.
  15. Southern Asia100thPlaced countries run from Bhutan 44th to Afghanistan 172nd.
  16. Melanesia106thPlaced countries run from Fiji 62nd to Papua New Guinea 138th.
  17. Southern Africa116thPlaced countries run from South Africa 102nd to Eswatini 140th.
  18. Northern Africa127thPlaced countries run from Tunisia 107th to Libya 174th.
  19. Eastern Africa143rdPlaced countries run from Mauritius 46th to Somalia 177th.
  20. Western Africa144thPlaced countries run from Cabo Verde 74th to Guinea-Bissau 168th.
  21. Middle Africa161stPlaced countries run from São Tomé and Príncipe 104th to Chad 175th.
  22. Micronesia—
  23. Europe, the whole continent25th
  24. The world’s midpoint88th
1st178thmedian

The square is each region’s median position; the grey bar runs from its best-placed to its lowest-placed country. Hover a row for their names.

05By subject

Topic by topic

Every country’s position on each topic, its shade darker the higher it sits in that topic’s field; select a cell for the country’s page on the topic. Strongest for Eastern Europe: Education & Knowledge, 2nd of 21 sub-regions. Weakest: Environment & Sustainability, 13th of 21.

All topics
Eastern Europe: each country’s position on each topic, with the region’s median and its place among sub-regions.
Education & KnowledgePoverty & InequalityRisk & ResilienceFood & AgricultureWork & LabourDigital & TechnologyDevelopment & Human CapitalEconomy & InnovationGender & EqualityGovernance & InstitutionsHealth & WellbeingEnergyMobility & TradePeace & SecurityDemocracy & Civil LibertiesEnvironment & SustainabilityMoney & Public FinancePeople & Population
CzechiaNo standing3 of 1596 of 1923 of 17524 of 18227 of 19826 of 19624 of 17633 of 18322 of 19427 of 20073 of 19325 of 14710 of 17720 of 198163 of 181No standingNo standing
Slovakia9 of 17117 of 15922 of 19220 of 17553 of 18270 of 19831 of 19622 of 17638 of 18344 of 19448 of 20045 of 19328 of 14754 of 17762 of 198109 of 181No standingNo standing
Poland3 of 17120 of 15934 of 19215 of 17547 of 18245 of 19821 of 19645 of 17612 of 18337 of 19414 of 20096 of 19324 of 14764 of 17754 of 198164 of 181No standingNo standing
Hungary54 of 17147 of 15917 of 19214 of 17539 of 18236 of 19843 of 19623 of 17651 of 18352 of 19466 of 20048 of 19332 of 14738 of 177102 of 19899 of 181No standingNo standing
Romania16 of 17136 of 15966 of 19227 of 175122 of 18264 of 19853 of 19643 of 17646 of 18343 of 19487 of 20050 of 19355 of 14766 of 17776 of 19897 of 181No standingNo standing
Bulgaria80 of 17195 of 15925 of 19229 of 17544 of 18252 of 19839 of 19655 of 17625 of 18359 of 19457 of 20069 of 19364 of 14784 of 17783 of 198144 of 181No standingNo standing
Moldova6 of 1716 of 15969 of 19277 of 17511 of 18255 of 19884 of 19698 of 17615 of 18347 of 194122 of 200156 of 193116 of 14767 of 17784 of 19880 of 181No standingNo standing
Belarus22 of 1711 of 15915 of 19276 of 1758 of 18279 of 19857 of 19649 of 176117 of 183153 of 19419 of 200124 of 193No standing146 of 177188 of 198125 of 181No standingNo standing
Ukraine72 of 1715 of 159103 of 192106 of 175No standing21 of 19865 of 19683 of 17656 of 183121 of 19491 of 200No standing112 of 147156 of 177117 of 19891 of 181No standingNo standing
Russia18 of 17133 of 15999 of 19275 of 17513 of 18246 of 19842 of 19666 of 176122 of 183148 of 19451 of 20094 of 19358 of 147171 of 177183 of 198145 of 181No standingNo standing
Region median18th of 17117th of 15925th of 19227th of 17539th of 18246th of 19842nd of 19645th of 17638th of 18347th of 19451st of 20073rd of 19355th of 14766th of 17783rd of 198109th of 181——
Among sub-regions2nd of 212nd of 213rd of 224th of 215th of 216th of 227th of 227th of 217th of 217th of 227th of 229th of 229th of 2110th of 2011th of 2213th of 21——

Columns run from the topic where Eastern Europe places best among sub-regions to the one where it places lowest. A region’s median on a topic needs at least two members with a standing; a hatched cell has no standing.

06In numbers

Eastern Europe in 6 numbers

Each line is every country in the world at its published value; Eastern Europe’s countries are the red ticks, and the dashed line is the world median. There is no regional average: a region has countries, not a life expectancy of its own.

All statistics

  • Population

    people · log scale

    UN DESA Population Division · 2023 · 222 countries · no better end

    MoldovaRussia496world median 6,541,4131,438,069,596

  • Land area

    km²

    FAO · 2024 · 221 countries · no better end

    MoldovaRussia0.4world median 87,58916,376,870

  • GDP per person

    international $, PPP · log scale

    World Bank Group · 2025 · 185 countries · higher is better

    UkraineCzechia1,067world median 17,265139,593

  • Life expectancy

    years at birth

    UN DESA Population Division · 2023 · 222 countries · higher is better

    MoldovaCzechia54.46world median 74.6386.37

  • Human development

    HDI, 0–1

    UNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · 193 countries · higher is better

    UkraineCzechia0.388world median 0.7620.972

  • Unemployment

    % of the labour force

    ILO · 2025 · 182 countries · lower is better

    No reading: Ukraine

    MoldovaRomania0.13world median 5.08434.2
Every value for Eastern Europe’s countries
CountryPopulation 2023Land area 2024GDP per person 2025Life expectancy 2023Human development 2023Unemployment 2025
Belarus9,115,680rank 99202,976rank 8429,666rank 6374.43rank 1150.824rank 653.38rank 128
Bulgaria6,795,803rank 110108,560rank 10135,326rank 5675.64rank 1020.845rank 553.536rank 124
Czechia10,809,716rank 8777,156rank 11449,292rank 3279.83rank 530.915rank 292.825rank 149
Hungary9,686,463rank 9691,260rank 10941,161rank 4677.02rank 850.87rank 464.521rank 108
Moldova3,067,070rank 13732,930rank 13517,087rank 9571.2rank 1480.785rank 861.505rank 173
Poland38,762,844rank 39306,070rank 7046,925rank 4078.63rank 620.906rank 352.976rank 144
Romania19,118,479rank 67230,080rank 8140,846rank 4775.94rank 990.845rank 555.992rank 71
Russia145,440,500rank 916,376,870rank 142,358rank 4473.15rank 1250.832rank 642.133rank 165
Slovakia5,518,055rank 11948,080rank 12840,690rank 4878.34rank 640.88rank 445.359rank 84
Ukraine37,732,836rank 40579,400rank 4616,155rank 9973.42rank 1240.779rank 87—

07In records

Eastern Europe in records

The member at the extreme of each statistic, read from its newest edition. Where two members share the top, no record is named.

08Latest editions

Who rose and fell in the published ranks

The moves of Eastern Europe’s countries between each report’s two newest editions, in the publisher’s own ranks. A report whose field changed by more than 5% is left out.

Ranks as published by UNDP Human Development Report Office in the Human Development Index: reference years 2022 (192 countries ranked) → 2023 (193 ranked), both from its 2025 report.

Improved most

rank before → after
  1. Ukraine90 → 87+3
  2. Bulgaria57 → 55+2

Declined most

rank before → after
  1. Moldova82 → 86−4
  2. Russia61 → 64−3
  3. Poland33 → 35−2
Every country in the Human Development Index

09In context

Across the border

The countries outside Eastern Europe that share a land border with one of its members, with their world positions, and the sub-regions they belong to. Land borders only, as drawn on the map.

Central Asia

Western Europe

The neighbouring sub-regions

10Keep reading

Explore further

All regions

The rest of Europe

11Method

Questions, method and sources

Which countries are in Eastern Europe?

10 countries and territories: Belarus, Bulgaria, Czechia, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia and Ukraine. Membership follows the United Nations’ M49 classification.

Which country in Eastern Europe is placed highest?

Czechia, placed 11th of 178 in the Country Index 2026. Russia is placed lowest, 68th. 10 of the region’s 10 countries and territories are placed; the rest hold standings on too few topics.

How does Eastern Europe compare with other regions?

Half of its 10 placed countries sit at or above 39th of 178, which places it 7th of 21 sub-regions. The median across Europe is 25th. The middle of the whole field is 88th. Nothing is weighted by population or size.

How many people live in Eastern Europe?

286,047,446 in 2023, the sum of the UN DESA Population Division’s figures for its 10 countries and territories.

What is the largest country in Eastern Europe?

By land area, Russia: 16,376,870 square kilometres (2024). By population, Russia: 145,440,500 people (2023).

How a region’s figure is made
  1. Membership. Countries belong to regions by the United Nations’ M49 classification; each country declares its sub-region, and a continent is the sum of its sub-regions.
  2. Positions. Each country’s position is its Country Index 2026 result, unchanged. This page slices the world ranking by place; it does not re-rank anyone.
  3. The median. A region’s figure is the median of its placed countries’ positions: half sit at or above it, half below. With an even number of placed countries it takes the better of the two middle positions, since there is no country at a half place. Countries the index does not place are named, never counted in.
  4. A place among peers. Continents are compared with continents and sub-regions with sub-regions, never a part with the whole that contains it; regions sharing a median share a place. Nothing is weighted by population or size, and population and land area are the only figures ever added up.

Where the regions come from

United Nations Statistics Division, Standard country or area codes for statistical use (M49). M49’s middle level (Sub-Saharan Africa; Latin America and the Caribbean) is left out, so every sub-region sits directly under its continent. Kosovo, Northern Cyprus and Somaliland are not in M49 and are placed by geography.

Where the positions come from

Every position is a country’s result in the Country Index 2026 or one of its topics, unchanged. The population and land-area figures are the UN DESA Population Division’s and the FAO’s, added up and shown with their year; every other statistic names its publisher beside its numbers.

Photographs

Each country’s own banner from its profile: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.

Cite this page

Nations Inquiry (2026). Eastern Europe: countries, population and rankings, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/regions/eastern-europe

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