Burma's position on the annual Failed States Index, where a top rank means misery and disaster and a bottom rank stability and affluence, has risen for the third year in a row.
According to the 2007 rankings issued by Foreign Policy magazine and The Fund for Peace organization, Burma boosted its ranking from 23rd place in 2005 to 18th place in 2006 and 14th place this year.
The Failed State Index uses 12 social, economic, political and military indicators to rank 177 countries around the world.
Sudan, Iraq and Somalia top the list of failed states, while Norway, Sweden and Finland are at the opposite end of the scale.
