WASHINGTON ? Scandinavian countries have been listed among the top nations helping to build prosperity in the developing world, with Sweden taking the top spot, an independent US research group said Thursday.

Denmark came second and Norway was fourth in the Commitment to Development Index (CDI), which examines aid efforts from 22 of the world's richest nations.

Sweden was singled out for praise by the Washington-based Center for Global Development for an "uptick in the average size of its foreign aid projects... and an increase in asylum applications accepted from people from poor countries, from 24,000 to 36,000."

The Index ranks countries on seven policy areas, including aid, trade, investment, migration, environment, security and technology.

In terms of the effort to battle climate change, the Center also lauded Sweden for its lowest levels of greenhouse gas emissions.

The G7 group of major industrialized countries ranked further down the table, with Canada at 11th, Britain, Germany and France sharing the 12th spot, and the United States and Italy 17th and 18th, respectively.

At the bottom end was Switzerland, holding the 20th spot, followed by Japan and South Korea.