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The Legatum Institute, a London-based organization that researches how people, groups and nations move from poverty to prosperity, has released its annual study. AOL mass media company reports.

The study examined 149 countries around the globe across nine broad factors: economic opportunities and growth, business environment, effective government with political participation, access to education, quality health care, national security and personal safety, personal freedoms, social support and civic participation and investment in natural resources.

The United States, which came in 17th in this year's index, has been dropping in rank over the past decade both for economic reasons and because of challenges to security and safety.

Across the globe, people are healthier, better educated and living under better governments within healthier economies than ever before. The index shows global prosperity is up three percentage points from 2007 — to its highest point in a decade.

Here are the top 10 most prosperous places to live:

10. United Kingdom
9. Denmark
8. Sweden
7. Netherlands
6. Australia
5. Canada
4. Switzerland
3. Finland
2. Norway
1. New Zealand