Index of Economic Freedom
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The Index of Economic Freedom is an annual index and ranking created by The Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal in 1995 to measure the degree of economic freedom in the world's nations. The creators of the index took an approach similar to Adam Smith's in The Wealth of Nations, that "basic institutions that protect the liberty of individuals to pursue their own economic interests result in greater prosperity for the larger society".[2][3]
Contents
2015
Key: ██ Free (80-100), ██ Mostly Free (70.0-79.9), ██ Moderately Free (60.0-69.9), ██ Mostly Unfree (50.0-59.9), ██ Repressed (0-49.9).
2015 [4] | 2014 [5] | 2013 [6] | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Country | Rank | Score | Change in Yearly Score from 2014 | Rank | Score | Change in Yearly Score from 2013 | Rank | Score | Change in Yearly Score from 2012 |
Hong Kong | 1 | 89.6 | -0.5 | 1 | 90.1 | 0.8 | 1 | 89.3 | -0.6 |
Singapore | 2 | 89.4 | 0 | 2 | 89.4 | 1.4 | 2 | 88 | 0.5 |
New Zealand | 3 | 82.1 | 0.9 | 5 | 81.2 | -0.2 | 4 | 81.4 | -0.7 |
Australia | 4 | 81.4 | -0.6 | 3 | 82 | -0.6 | 3 | 82.6 | -0.5 |
Switzerland | 5 | 80.5 | -1.1 | 4 | 81.6 | 0.6 | 5 | 81 | -0.1 |
Canada | 6 | 79.1 | -1.1 | 6 | 80.2 | 0.8 | 6 | 79.4 | -0.5 |
Chile | 7 | 78.5 | -0.2 | 7 | 78.7 | -0.3 | 7 | 79 | 0.7 |
Estonia | 8 | 76.8 | 0.9 | 11 | 75.9 | 0.6 | 13 | 75.3 | 2.1 |
Ireland | 9 | 76.6 | 0.4 | 9 | 76.2 | 0.5 | 11 | 75.7 | -1.2 |
Mauritius | 10 | 76.4 | -0.1 | 8 | 76.5 | -0.4 | 8 | 76.9 | -0.1 |
Denmark | 11 | 76.3 | 0.2 | 10 | 76.1 | 0 | 9 | 76.1 | -0.1 |
United States | 12 | 76.2 | 0.7 | 12 | 75.5 | -0.5 | 10 | 76 | -0.3 |
United Kingdom | 13 | 75.8 | 0.9 | 14 | 74.9 | 0.1 | 14 | 74.8 | 0.7 |
Taiwan | 14 | 75.1 | 1.2 | 17 | 73.9 | 1.2 | 20 | 72.7 | 0.8 |
Lithuania | 15 | 74.7 | 1.7 | 21 | 73 | 0.9 | 22 | 72.1 | 0.6 |
Germany | 16 | 73.8 | 0.4 | 18 | 73.4 | 0.6 | 19 | 72.8 | 1.8 |
Netherlands | 17 | 73.7 | -0.5 | 15 | 74.2 | 0.7 | 17 | 73.5 | 0.2 |
Bahrain | 18 | 73.4 | -1.7 | 13 | 75.1 | -0.4 | 12 | 75.5 | 0.3 |
Finland | 19 | 73.4 | 0 | 19 | 73.4 | -0.6 | 16 | 74 | 1.7 |
Japan | 20 | 73.3 | 0.9 | 25 | 72.4 | 0.6 | 24 | 71.8 | 0.2 |
Luxembourg | 21 | 73.2 | -1 | 16 | 74.2 | 0 | 15 | 74.2 | -0.3 |
Georgia | 22 | 73 | 0.4 | 22 | 72.6 | 0.4 | 21 | 72.2 | 2.8 |
Sweden | 23 | 72.7 | -0.4 | 20 | 73.1 | 0.2 | 18 | 72.9 | 1.2 |
Czech Republic | 24 | 72.5 | 0.3 | 26 | 72.2 | 1.3 | 29 | 70.9 | 1 |
United Arab Emirates | 25 | 72.4 | 1 | 28 | 71.4 | 0.3 | 28 | 71.1 | 1.8 |
Iceland | 26 | 72 | -0.4 | 23 | 72.4 | 0.3 | 23 | 72.1 | 1.2 |
Norway | 27 | 71.8 | 0.9 | 32 | 70.9 | 0.4 | 31 | 70.5 | 1.7 |
Colombia | 28 | 71.7 | 1 | 34 | 70.7 | 1.1 | 37 | 69.6 | 1.6 |
South Korea | 29 | 71.5 | 0.3 | 31 | 71.2 | 0.9 | 34 | 70.3 | 0.4 |
Austria | 30 | 71.2 | -1.2 | 24 | 72.4 | 0.6 | 25 | 71.8 | 1.5 |
Malaysia | 31 | 70.8 | 1.2 | 37 | 69.6 | 3.5 | 56 | 66.1 | -0.3 |
Qatar | 32 | 70.8 | -0.4 | 30 | 71.2 | -0.1 | 27 | 71.3 | 0 |
Israel | 33 | 70.5 | 2.1 | 44 | 68.4 | 1.5 | 51 | 66.9 | -0.9 |
Macau | 34 | 70.3 | -1 | 29 | 71.3 | -0.4 | 26 | 71.7 | -0.1 |
Saint Lucia | 35 | 70.2 | -0.5 | 33 | 70.7 | 0.3 | 32 | 70.4 | -0.9 |
Botswana | 36 | 69.8 | -2.2 | 27 | 72 | 1.4 | 30 | 70.6 | 1 |
Latvia | 37 | 69.7 | 1 | 42 | 68.7 | 2.2 | 55 | 66.5 | 1.3 |
Jordan | 38 | 69.3 | 0.1 | 39 | 69.2 | -1.2 | 33 | 70.4 | 0.5 |
Brunei | 39 | 68.9 | -0.1 | 40 | 69 | - | |||
Belgium | 40 | 68.8 | -1.1 | 35 | 69.9 | 0.7 | 40 | 69.2 | 0.2 |
Bahamas | 41 | 68.7 | -1.1 | 36 | 69.8 | -0.3 | 35 | 70.1 | 2.1 |
Poland | 42 | 68.6 | 1.6 | 50 | 67 | 1 | 57 | 66 | 1.8 |
Uruguay | 43 | 68.6 | -0.7 | 38 | 69.3 | -0.4 | 36 | 69.7 | -0.2 |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 44 | 68 | 1 | 52 | 67 | 0.3 | 54 | 66.7 | 0.2 |
Cyprus | 45 | 67.9 | 0.3 | 46 | 67.6 | -1.4 | 41 | 69 | -2.8 |
Barbados | 46 | 67.9 | -0.4 | 45 | 68.3 | -1 | 39 | 69.3 | 0.3 |
Peru | 47 | 67.7 | 0.3 | 47 | 67.4 | -0.8 | 44 | 68.2 | -0.5 |
Jamaica | 48 | 67.7 | 1 | 56 | 66.7 | -0.1 | 52 | 66.8 | 1.7 |
Spain | 49 | 67.6 | 0.4 | 49 | 67.2 | -0.8 | 46 | 68 | -1.1 |
Slovakia | 50 | 67.2 | 0.8 | 57 | 66.4 | -2.3 | 42 | 68.7 | 1.7 |
Costa Rica | 51 | 67.2 | 0.3 | 53 | 66.9 | -0.1 | 49 | 67 | -1 |
Armenia | 52 | 67.1 | -1.8 | 41 | 68.9 | -0.5 | 38 | 69.4 | 0.6 |
Macedonia | 53 | 67.1 | -1.5 | 43 | 68.6 | 0.4 | 43 | 68.2 | -0.3 |
Hungary | 54 | 66.8 | -0.2 | 51 | 67 | -0.3 | 48 | 67.3 | 0.2 |
Bulgaria | 55 | 66.8 | 1.1 | 61 | 65.7 | 0.7 | 60 | 65 | 0.3 |
Oman | 56 | 66.7 | -0.7 | 48 | 67.4 | -0.7 | 45 | 68.1 | 0.2 |
Romania | 57 | 66.6 | 1.1 | 62 | 65.5 | 0.4 | 59 | 65.1 | 0.7 |
Malta | 58 | 66.5 | 0.1 | 58 | 66.4 | -1.1 | 47 | 67.5 | 0.5 |
Mexico | 59 | 66.4 | -0.4 | 55 | 66.8 | -0.2 | 50 | 67 | 1.7 |
Cape Verde | 60 | 66.4 | 0.3 | 60 | 66.1 | 2.4 | 65 | 63.7 | 0.2 |
Dominica | 61 | 66.1 | 0.9 | 63 | 65.2 | 1.3 | 64 | 63.9 | 2.3 |
El Salvador | 62 | 65.7 | -0.5 | 59 | 66.2 | -0.5 | 53 | 66.7 | -2 |
Albania | 63 | 65.7 | -1.2 | 54 | 66.9 | 1.7 | 58 | 65.2 | 0.1 |
Portugal | 64 | 65.3 | 1.8 | 69 | 63.5 | 0.4 | 67 | 63.1 | 0.1 |
Rwanda | 65 | 64.8 | 0.1 | 65 | 64.7 | 0.6 | 63 | 64.1 | -0.8 |
Montenegro | 66 | 64.7 | 1.1 | 68 | 63.6 | 1 | 70 | 62.6 | 0.1 |
Trinidad and Tobago | 67 | 64.1 | 1.4 | 73 | 62.7 | 0.4 | 72 | 62.3 | -2.1 |
Panama | 68 | 64.1 | 0.7 | 71 | 63.4 | 0.9 | 71 | 62.5 | -2.7 |
Kazakhstan | 69 | 63.3 | -0.4 | 67 | 63.7 | 0.7 | 68 | 63 | -0.6 |
Turkey | 70 | 63.2 | -1.7 | 64 | 64.9 | 2 | 69 | 62.9 | 0.4 |
Ghana | 71 | 63 | -1.2 | 66 | 64.2 | 2.9 | 77 | 61.3 | 0.6 |
South Africa | 72 | 62.6 | 0.1 | 75 | 62.5 | 0.7 | 74 | 61.8 | -0.9 |
France | 73 | 62.5 | -1 | 70 | 63.5 | -0.6 | 62 | 64.1 | 0.9 |
Kuwait | 74 | 62.5 | 0.2 | 76 | 62.3 | -0.8 | 66 | 63.1 | 0.6 |
Thailand | 75 | 62.4 | -0.9 | 72 | 63.3 | -0.8 | 61 | 64.1 | -0.8 |
Philippines | 76 | 62.2 | 2.1 | 89 | 60.1 | 1.9 | 97 | 58.2 | 1.1 |
Saudi Arabia | 77 | 62.1 | -0.1 | 77 | 62.2 | 1.6 | 82 | 60.6 | -1.9 |
Samoa | 78 | 61.9 | 0.8 | 84 | 61.1 | 4 | 106 | 57.1 | -3.4 |
Madagascar | 79 | 61.7 | 0 | 79 | 61.7 | -0.3 | 73 | 62 | -0.4 |
Italy | 80 | 61.7 | 0.8 | 86 | 60.9 | 0.3 | 83 | 60.6 | 1.8 |
Croatia | 81 | 61.5 | 1.1 | 87 | 60.4 | -0.9 | 78 | 61.3 | 0.4 |
Kyrgyzstan | 82 | 61.3 | 0.2 | 85 | 61.1 | 1.5 | 89 | 59.6 | -0.6 |
Paraguay | 83 | 61.1 | -0.9 | 78 | 62 | 0.9 | 80 | 61.1 | -0.7 |
Vanuatu | 84 | 61.1 | 1.6 | 93 | 59.5 | 2.9 | 109 | 56.6 | 0 |
Azerbaijan | 85 | 61 | -0.3 | 81 | 61.3 | 1.6 | 88 | 59.7 | 0.8 |
Dominican Republic | 86 | 61 | -0.3 | 80 | 61.3 | 1.6 | 87 | 59.7 | -0.5 |
Guatemala | 87 | 60.4 | -0.8 | 83 | 61.2 | 1.2 | 85 | 60 | -0.9 |
Slovenia | 88 | 60.3 | -2.4 | 74 | 62.7 | 1 | 76 | 61.7 | -1.2 |
Morocco | 89 | 60.1 | 1.8 | 103 | 58.3 | -1.3 | 90 | 59.6 | -0.6 |
Serbia | 90 | 60 | 0.6 | 95 | 59.4 | 0.8 | 94 | 58.6 | 0.6 |
Swaziland | 91 | 59.9 | -1.3 | 82 | 61.2 | 4 | 104 | 57.2 | 0 |
Uganda | 92 | 59.7 | -0.2 | 91 | 59.9 | -1.2 | 79 | 61.1 | -0.8 |
Namibia | 93 | 59.6 | 0.2 | 94 | 59.4 | -0.9 | 84 | 60.3 | -1.6 |
Lebanon | 94 | 59.3 | -0.1 | 96 | 59.4 | -0.1 | 91 | 59.5 | -0.6 |
Tonga | 95 | 59.3 | 1.1 | 104 | 58.2 | 2.2 | 112 | 56 | -1 |
Mongolia | 96 | 59.2 | 0.3 | 97 | 58.9 | -2.8 | 75 | 61.7 | 0.2 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 97 | 59 | 0.6 | 101 | 58.4 | 1.1 | 103 | 57.3 | 0 |
Fiji | 98 | 59 | 0.3 | 99 | 58.7 | 1.5 | 105 | 57.2 | -0.1 |
Benin | 99 | 58.8 | 1.7 | 113 | 57.1 | -0.5 | 101 | 57.6 | 1.9 |
Zambia | 100 | 58.7 | -1.7 | 88 | 60.4 | 1.7 | 93 | 58.7 | 0.4 |
Sri Lanka | 101 | 58.6 | -1.4 | 90 | 60 | -0.7 | 81 | 60.7 | 2.4 |
Burkina Faso | 102 | 58.6 | -0.3 | 98 | 58.9 | -1 | 86 | 59.9 | -0.7 |
Ivory Coast | 103 | 58.5 | 0.8 | 107 | 57.7 | 3.6 | 126 | 54.1 | -0.2 |
Gabon | 104 | 58.3 | 0.5 | 105 | 57.8 | 0 | 99 | 57.8 | 1.4 |
Indonesia | 105 | 58.1 | -0.4 | 100 | 58.5 | 1.6 | 108 | 56.9 | 0.5 |
Senegal | 106 | 57.8 | 2.4 | 125 | 55.4 | -0.1 | 116 | 55.5 | 0.1 |
Tunisia | 107 | 57.7 | 0.4 | 109 | 57.3 | 0.3 | 107 | 57 | -1.6 |
Nicaragua | 108 | 57.6 | -0.8 | 102 | 58.4 | 1.8 | 110 | 56.6 | -1.3 |
Tanzania | 109 | 57.5 | -0.3 | 106 | 57.8 | -0.1 | 98 | 57.9 | 0.9 |
Cambodia | 110 | 57.5 | 0.1 | 108 | 57.4 | -1.1 | 95 | 58.5 | 0.9 |
Moldova | 111 | 57.5 | 0.2 | 110 | 57.3 | 1.8 | 115 | 55.5 | 1.1 |
Djibouti | 112 | 57.5 | 1.6 | 118 | 55.9 | 2 | 127 | 53.9 | 0 |
Gambia | 113 | 57.5 | -2 | 92 | 59.5 | 0.7 | 92 | 58.8 | 0 |
Seychelles | 114 | 57.5 | 1.3 | 117 | 56.2 | 1.3 | 124 | 54.9 | 1.9 |
Bhutan | 115 | 57.4 | 0.7 | 116 | 56.7 | 1.7 | 122 | 55 | -1.6 |
Honduras | 116 | 57.4 | 0.3 | 112 | 57.1 | -1.3 | 96 | 58.4 | -0.4 |
Belize | 117 | 56.8 | 0.1 | 115 | 56.7 | -0.6 | 102 | 57.3 | -4.6 |
Brazil | 118 | 56.6 | -0.3 | 114 | 56.9 | -0.8 | 100 | 57.7 | -0.2 |
Mali | 119 | 56.4 | 0.9 | 122 | 55.5 | -0.9 | 111 | 56.4 | 0.6 |
Nigeria | 120 | 55.6 | 1.3 | 129 | 54.3 | -0.8 | 120 | 55.1 | -1.2 |
Pakistan | 121 | 55.6 | 0.4 | 126 | 55.2 | 0.1 | 121 | 55.1 | 0.4 |
Kenya | 122 | 55.6 | -1.5 | 111 | 57.1 | 1.2 | 114 | 55.9 | -1.6 |
Guyana | 123 | 55.5 | -0.2 | 121 | 55.7 | 1.9 | 129 | 53.8 | 2.5 |
Egypt | 124 | 55.2 | 2.3 | 135 | 52.9 | -1.9 | 125 | 54.8 | -3.1 |
Mozambique | 125 | 54.8 | -0.2 | 128 | 55 | 0 | 123 | 55 | -2.1 |
Malawi | 126 | 54.8 | -0.6 | 124 | 55.4 | 0.1 | 118 | 55.3 | -1.1 |
Niger | 127 | 54.6 | -0.5 | 127 | 55.1 | 1.2 | 128 | 53.9 | -0.4 |
India | 128 | 54.6 | -1.1 | 120 | 55.7 | 0.5 | 119 | 55.2 | 0.6 |
Suriname | 129 | 54.2 | 0 | 130 | 54.2 | 2.2 | 135 | 52 | -0.6 |
Greece | 130 | 54 | -1.7 | 119 | 55.7 | 0.3 | 117 | 55.4 | 0 |
Bangladesh | 131 | 53.9 | -0.2 | 131 | 54.1 | 1.5 | 132 | 52.6 | -0.6 |
Burundi | 132 | 53.7 | 2.3 | 141 | 51.4 | 2.4 | 148 | 49 | 0.9 |
Yemen | 133 | 53.7 | -1.8 | 123 | 55.5 | -0.4 | 113 | 55.9 | 0.6 |
Maldives | 134 | 53.4 | 2.4 | 145 | 51 | 2 | 149 | 49 | -0.2 |
Mauritania | 135 | 53.3 | 0.1 | 134 | 53.2 | 0.9 | 134 | 52.3 | -0.7 |
São Tomé and Príncipe | 136 | 53.3 | 4.5 | 157 | 48.8 | 0.8 | 153 | 48 | -2.2 |
Papua New Guinea | 137 | 53.1 | -0.8 | 132 | 53.9 | 0.3 | 130 | 53.6 | -0.2 |
Togo | 138 | 53 | 3.1 | 152 | 49.9 | 1.1 | 150 | 48.8 | 0.5 |
China | 139 | 52.7 | 0.2 | 137 | 52.5 | 0.6 | 136 | 51.9 | 0.7 |
Tajikistan | 140 | 52.7 | 0.7 | 139 | 52 | -1.4 | 131 | 53.4 | 0 |
Liberia | 141 | 52.7 | 0.3 | 138 | 52.4 | 3.1 | 147 | 49.3 | 0.7 |
Comoros | 142 | 52.1 | 0.7 | 142 | 51.4 | 3.9 | 157 | 47.5 | 1.8 |
Russia | 143 | 52.1 | 0.2 | 140 | 51.9 | 0.8 | 139 | 51.1 | 0.6 |
Guinea | 144 | 52.1 | -1.4 | 133 | 53.5 | 2.3 | 137 | 51.2 | 0.4 |
Guinea-Bissau | 145 | 52 | 0.7 | 143 | 51.3 | 0.2 | 138 | 51.1 | 1 |
Cameroon | 146 | 51.9 | -0.7 | 136 | 52.6 | 0.3 | 133 | 52.3 | 0.5 |
Sierra Leone | 147 | 51.7 | 1.2 | 148 | 50.5 | 2.2 | 151 | 48.3 | -0.8 |
Vietnam | 148 | 51.7 | 0.9 | 147 | 50.8 | -0.2 | 140 | 51 | -0.3 |
Ethiopia | 149 | 51.5 | 1.5 | 151 | 50 | 0.6 | 146 | 49.4 | -2.6 |
Laos | 150 | 51.4 | 0.2 | 144 | 51.2 | 1.1 | 144 | 50.1 | 0.1 |
Haiti | 151 | 51.3 | 2.4 | 156 | 48.9 | 0.8 | 152 | 48.1 | -2.6 |
Nepal | 152 | 51.3 | 1.2 | 149 | 50.1 | -0.3 | 141 | 50.4 | 0.2 |
Belarus | 153 | 49.8 | -0.3 | 150 | 50.1 | 2.1 | 154 | 48 | -1 |
Federated States of Micronesia | 154 | 49.6 | -0.2 | 153 | 49.8 | -0.3 | 143 | 50.1 | -0.6 |
Lesotho | 155 | 49.6 | 0.1 | 154 | 49.5 | 1.6 | 155 | 47.9 | 1.3 |
Ecuador | 156 | 49.2 | 1.2 | 159 | 48 | 1.1 | 159 | 46.9 | -1.4 |
Algeria | 157 | 48.9 | -1.9 | 146 | 50.8 | 1.2 | 145 | 49.6 | -1.4 |
Angola | 158 | 47.9 | 0.2 | 160 | 47.7 | 0.4 | 158 | 47.3 | 0.6 |
Solomon Islands | 159 | 47 | 0.8 | 165 | 46.2 | 1.2 | 165 | 45 | -1.2 |
Uzbekistan | 160 | 47 | 0.5 | 163 | 46.5 | 0.5 | 162 | 46 | 0.2 |
Myanmar | 161 | 46.9 | 0.4 | 162 | 46.5 | 7.3 | 172 | 39.2 | 0.5 |
Ukraine | 162 | 46.9 | -2.4 | 155 | 49.3 | 3 | 161 | 46.3 | 0.2 |
Bolivia | 163 | 46.8 | -1.6 | 158 | 48.4 | 0.5 | 156 | 47.9 | -2.3 |
Kiribati | 164 | 46.4 | 0.1 | 164 | 46.3 | 0.4 | 163 | 45.9 | -1 |
Chad | 165 | 45.9 | 1.4 | 167 | 44.5 | -0.7 | 164 | 45.2 | 0.4 |
Central African Republic | 166 | 45.9 | -0.8 | 161 | 46.7 | -3.7 | 142 | 50.4 | 0.1 |
Timor-Leste | 167 | 45.5 | 2.3 | 170 | 43.2 | -0.5 | 166 | 43.7 | 0.4 |
Republic of the Congo | 168 | 45 | 4.4 | 172 | 40.6 | 1 | 171 | 39.6 | -1.5 |
Argentina | 169 | 44.1 | -0.5 | 166 | 44.6 | -2.1 | 160 | 46.7 | -1.3 |
Democratic Republic of the Congo | 170 | 42.7 | -1 | 169 | 43.7 | 0.2 | 167 | 43.5 | -0.3 |
Iran | 171 | 41.8 | 1.5 | 173 | 40.3 | -2.9 | 168 | 43.2 | 0.9 |
Turkmenistan | 172 | 41.4 | -0.8 | 171 | 42.2 | -0.4 | 169 | 42.6 | -1.2 |
Equatorial Guinea | 173 | 40.4 | -4 | 168 | 44.4 | 2.1 | 170 | 42.3 | -0.5 |
Eritrea | 174 | 38.9 | 0.4 | 174 | 38.5 | 2.2 | 173 | 36.3 | 0.1 |
Zimbabwe | 175 | 37.6 | 2.1 | 176 | 35.5 | 6.9 | 175 | 28.6 | 2.3 |
Venezuela | 176 | 34.3 | -2 | 175 | 36.3 | 0.2 | 174 | 36.1 | -2 |
Cuba | 177 | 29.6 | 0.9 | 177 | 28.7 | 0.2 | 176 | 28.5 | 0.2 |
North Korea | 178 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 178 | 1 | -0.5 | 177 | 1.5 | 0.5 |
2014
Key: ██ Free (80-100), ██ Mostly Free (70.0-79.9), ██ Moderately Free (60.0-69.9), ██ Mostly Unfree (50.0-59.9), ██ Repressed (0-49.9).
Country | Rank | Score | Change |
---|---|---|---|
Hong Kong[lower-alpha 1] | 1 | 90.1 | 0.8 |
Singapore | 2 | 89.4 | 1.4 |
Australia | 3 | 82.0 | 0.6 |
Switzerland | 4 | 81.6 | 0.6 |
New Zealand | 5 | 81.2 | 0.2 |
Canada | 6 | 80.2 | 0.8 |
Chile | 7 | 78.7 | 0.3 |
Mauritius | 8 | 76.5 | 0.4 |
Ireland | 9 | 76.2 | 0.5 |
Denmark | 10 | 76.1 | 0.0 |
Estonia | 11 | 75.9 | 0.6 |
United States | 12 | 75.5 | 0.5 |
Bahrain | 13 | 75.1 | 0.4 |
United Kingdom | 14 | 74.9 | 0.1 |
Netherlands | 15 | 74.2 | 0.7 |
Luxembourg | 16 | 74.2 | 0.0 |
Taiwan | 17 | 73.9 | 1.2 |
Germany | 18 | 73.4 | 0.6 |
Finland | 19 | 73.4 | 1.7 |
Sweden | 20 | 73.1 | 0.2 |
Lithuania | 21 | 73.0 | 0.9 |
Georgia | 22 | 72.6 | 0.4 |
Iceland | 23 | 72.4 | 0.3 |
Austria | 24 | 72.4 | 0.6 |
Japan | 25 | 72.4 | 0.6 |
Czech Republic | 26 | 72.2 | 1.3 |
Botswana | 27 | 72.0 | 1.4 |
United Arab Emirates | 28 | 71.4 | 0.3 |
Macau | 29 | 71.3 | 0.4 |
Qatar | 30 | 71.2 | 0.1 |
South Korea | 31 | 71.2 | 0.9 |
Norway | 32 | 70.9 | 0.4 |
Saint Lucia | 33 | 70.7 | 0.3 |
Colombia | 34 | 70.7 | 1.1 |
Belgium | 35 | 69.9 | 0.7 |
The Bahamas | 36 | 69.8 | 0.3 |
Malaysia | 37 | 69.6 | 3.5 |
Uruguay | 38 | 69.3 | 0.4 |
Jordan | 39 | 69.2 | 1.2 |
Brunei | 40 | 69.0 | |
Armenia | 41 | 68.9 | 0.5 |
Latvia | 42 | 68.7 | 2.2 |
Macedonia | 43 | 68.6 | 0.4 |
Israel | 44 | 68.4 | 1.5 |
Barbados | 45 | 68.3 | 0.1 |
Cyprus | 46 | 67.6 | 1.4 |
Peru | 47 | 67.4 | 0.4 |
Oman | 48 | 67.4 | 0.7 |
Spain | 49 | 67.2 | 0.8 |
Poland | 50 | 67.0 | 1.0 |
Hungary | 51 | 67.0 | 0.3 |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 52 | 67.0 | 0.3 |
Costa Rica | 53 | 66.9 | 0.1 |
Albania | 54 | 66.9 | 1.7 |
Mexico | 55 | 66.8 | 0.2 |
Jamaica | 56 | 66.7 | 0.1 |
Slovakia | 57 | 66.4 | 2.3 |
Malta | 58 | 66.4 | 1.1 |
El Salvador | 59 | 66.2 | 0.5 |
Cape Verde | 60 | 66.1 | 2.4 |
Bulgaria | 61 | 65.7 | 0.7 |
Romania | 62 | 65.5 | 0.4 |
Dominica | 63 | 65.2 | 1.3 |
Turkey | 64 | 64.9 | 2.0 |
Rwanda | 65 | 64.7 | 0.6 |
Ghana | 66 | 64.2 | 2.9 |
Kazakhstan | 67 | 63.7 | 0.7 |
Montenegro | 68 | 63.6 | 1.0 |
Portugal | 69 | 63.5 | 0.4 |
France | 70 | 63.5 | 0.6 |
Panama | 71 | 63.4 | 0.9 |
Thailand | 72 | 63.3 | 0.8 |
Trinidad and Tobago | 73 | 62.7 | 0.4 |
Slovenia | 74 | 62.7 | 0.1 |
South Africa | 75 | 62.5 | 0.7 |
Kuwait | 76 | 62.3 | 0.8 |
Saudi Arabia | 77 | 62.2 | 1.6 |
Paraguay | 78 | 62.0 | 0.9 |
Madagascar | 79 | 61.7 | 0.3 |
Dominican Republic | 80 | 61.3 | 1.6 |
Azerbaijan | 81 | 61.3 | 1.6 |
Swaziland | 82 | 61.2 | 4.0 |
Guatemala | 83 | 61.2 | 1.2 |
Samoa | 84 | 61.1 | 4.0 |
Kyrgyzstan | 85 | 61.1 | 1.5 |
Italy | 86 | 60.9 | 0.3 |
Croatia | 87 | 60.4 | 0.9 |
Zambia | 88 | 60.4 | 1.7 |
Philippines | 89 | 60.1 | 1.9 |
Sri Lanka | 90 | 60.0 | 0.7 |
Uganda | 91 | 59.9 | 1.2 |
Gambia | 92 | 59.5 | 0.7 |
Vanuatu | 93 | 59.5 | 2.9 |
Namibia | 94 | 59.4 | 0.9 |
Serbia | 95 | 59.4 | 0.8 |
Lebanon | 96 | 59.4 | 0.1 |
Mongolia | 97 | 58.9 | 2.8 |
Burkina Faso | 98 | 58.9 | 1.0 |
Fiji | 99 | 58.7 | 1.5 |
Indonesia | 100 | 58.5 | 1.6 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 101 | 58.4 | 1.1 |
Nicaragua | 102 | 58.4 | 1.8 |
Morocco | 103 | 58.3 | 1.3 |
Tonga | 104 | 58.2 | 2.2 |
Gabon | 105 | 57.8 | 0.0 |
Tanzania | 106 | 57.8 | 0.1 |
Ivory Coast | 107 | 57.7 | 3.6 |
Cambodia | 108 | 57.4 | 1.1 |
Tunisia | 109 | 57.3 | 0.3 |
Moldova | 110 | 57.3 | 1.8 |
Kenya | 111 | 57.1 | 1.2 |
Honduras | 112 | 57.1 | 1.3 |
Benin | 113 | 57.1 | 0.5 |
Brazil | 114 | 56.9 | 0.8 |
Belize | 115 | 56.7 | 0.6 |
Bhutan | 116 | 56.7 | 1.7 |
Seychelles | 117 | 56.2 | 1.3 |
Djibouti | 118 | 55.9 | 2.0 |
Greece | 119 | 55.9 | 0.3 |
India | 120 | 55.7 | 0.5 |
Guyana | 121 | 55.7 | 1.9 |
Mali | 122 | 55.5 | 0.9 |
Yemen | 123 | 55.5 | 0.4 |
Malawi | 124 | 55.4 | 0.1 |
Senegal | 125 | 55.4 | 0.1 |
Pakistan | 126 | 55.2 | 0.1 |
Niger | 127 | 55.1 | 1.2 |
Mozambique | 128 | 55.0 | 0.0 |
Nigeria | 129 | 54.3 | 0.8 |
Suriname | 130 | 54.2 | 2.2 |
Bangladesh | 131 | 54.1 | 1.5 |
Papua New Guinea | 132 | 53.9 | 0.3 |
Guinea | 133 | 53.5 | 2.3 |
Mauritania | 134 | 53.2 | 0.9 |
Egypt | 135 | 52.9 | 1.9 |
Cameroon | 136 | 52.6 | 0.3 |
China | 137 | 52.5 | 0.6 |
Liberia | 138 | 52.4 | 3.1 |
Tajikistan | 139 | 52.0 | 1.4 |
Russia | 140 | 51.9 | 0.8 |
Burundi | 141 | 51.4 | 2.4 |
Comoros | 142 | 51.4 | 3.9 |
Guinea-Bissau | 143 | 51.3 | 0.2 |
Laos | 144 | 51.2 | 1.1 |
Maldives | 145 | 51.0 | 2.0 |
Algeria | 146 | 50.8 | 1.2 |
Vietnam | 147 | 50.8 | 0.2 |
Sierra Leone | 148 | 50.5 | 2.2 |
Nepal | 149 | 50.1 | 0.3 |
Belarus | 150 | 50.1 | 2.1 |
Ethiopia | 151 | 50.0 | 0.6 |
Togo | 152 | 49.9 | 1.1 |
Micronesia | 153 | 49.8 | 0.3 |
Lesotho | 154 | 49.5 | 1.6 |
Ukraine | 155 | 49.3 | 3.0 |
Haiti | 156 | 48.9 | 0.8 |
São Tomé and Príncipe | 157 | 48.8 | 0.8 |
Bolivia | 158 | 48.4 | 0.5 |
Ecuador | 159 | 48.0 | 1.1 |
Angola | 160 | 47.7 | 0.4 |
Central African Republic | 161 | 46.7 | 3.7 |
Burma | 162 | 46.5 | 7.3 |
Uzbekistan | 163 | 46.5 | 0.5 |
Kiribati | 164 | 46.3 | 0.4 |
Solomon Islands | 165 | 46.2 | 1.2 |
Argentina | 166 | 46.6 | 2.1 |
Chad | 167 | 44.5 | 0.7 |
Equatorial Guinea | 168 | 44.4 | 2.1 |
Republic of Congo | 169 | 43.7 | 0.2 |
East Timor | 170 | 43.2 | 0.5 |
Turkmenistan | 171 | 42.2 | 1.1 |
Democratic Republic of Congo | 172 | 40.6 | 1.0 |
Iran | 173 | 40.3 | 2.9 |
Eritrea | 174 | 38.5 | 2.2 |
Venezuela | 175 | 36.3 | 0.2 |
Zimbabwe | 176 | 35.5 | 6.9 |
Cuba | 177 | 28.7 | 0.2 |
North Korea | 178 | 1.0 | 0.5 |
- ↑ Special administrative region (SAR) of China
2014 ranking with more attributes
The following table contains more attributes. The whole table is available in XLS format at the Heritage Foundation web site.[7]
Country Name | World Rank | 2014 Score | Property Rights | Freedom from Corruption | Fiscal Freedom | Gov't Spending | Business Freedom | Labor Freedom | Monetary Freedom | Trade Freedom | Investment Freedom | Financial Freedom | Gov't Expenditure % of GDP |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Albania | 54 | 66.9 | 30 | 30.4 | 92.7 | 75.6 | 78.1 | 49.7 | 80.0 | 87.5 | 75 | 70 | 28.5 |
Algeria | 146 | 50.8 | 30 | 28.7 | 80.5 | 51.0 | 66.3 | 48.3 | 67.8 | 60.8 | 45 | 30 | 40.4 |
Angola | 160 | 47.7 | 15 | 17.7 | 87.7 | 55.3 | 47.5 | 40.1 | 63.6 | 70.1 | 40 | 40 | 38.6 |
Argentina | 166 | 44.6 | 15 | 29.5 | 63.5 | 49.9 | 53.9 | 44.9 | 60.0 | 68.9 | 30 | 30 | 40.9 |
Armenia | 41 | 68.9 | 30 | 26.7 | 86.5 | 81.3 | 83.1 | 78.5 | 77.0 | 85.5 | 70 | 70 | 25.0 |
Australia | 3 | 82.0 | 90 | 87.7 | 64.2 | 62.6 | 94.6 | 79.2 | 80.5 | 86.4 | 85 | 90 | 35.3 |
Austria | 24 | 72.4 | 90 | 75.5 | 51.0 | 23.5 | 76.3 | 80.5 | 79.5 | 87.8 | 90 | 70 | 50.5 |
Azerbaijan | 81 | 61.3 | 20 | 22.7 | 88.1 | 64.8 | 73.5 | 77.9 | 78.8 | 77.2 | 60 | 50 | 34.2 |
Bahamas | 36 | 69.8 | 70 | 66.6 | 97.3 | 84.1 | 70.7 | 81.5 | 75.1 | 52.2 | 30 | 70 | 23.0 |
Bahrain | 13 | 75.1 | 60 | 49.4 | 99.9 | 71.4 | 76.3 | 82.0 | 78.4 | 78.6 | 75 | 80 | 30.9 |
Bangladesh | 131 | 54.1 | 20 | 23.3 | 72.5 | 92.3 | 70.8 | 51.9 | 65.9 | 59.0 | 55 | 30 | 16.0 |
Barbados | 45 | 68.3 | 80 | 77.9 | 74.0 | 49.8 | 72.8 | 78.4 | 74.6 | 60.6 | 55 | 60 | 40.9 |
Belarus | 150 | 50.1 | 20 | 24.6 | 89.2 | 61.2 | 73.4 | 77.7 | 33.9 | 81.4 | 30 | 10 | 36.0 |
Belgium | 35 | 69.9 | 80 | 74.2 | 44.8 | 14.8 | 89.9 | 72.7 | 79.5 | 87.8 | 85 | 70 | 53.3 |
Belize | 115 | 56.7 | 30 | 6.7 | 82.1 | 74.2 | 71.6 | 67.2 | 77.6 | 67.8 | 40 | 50 | 29.3 |
Benin | 113 | 57.1 | 30 | 29.5 | 68.3 | 86.1 | 51.0 | 50.5 | 75.4 | 60.0 | 70 | 50 | 21.5 |
Bhutan | 116 | 56.7 | 60 | 58.8 | 82.9 | 57.2 | 59.4 | 83.6 | 65.8 | 49.4 | 20 | 30 | 37.8 |
Bolivia | 158 | 48.4 | 10 | 28.1 | 87.1 | 62.5 | 53.4 | 29.9 | 70.0 | 77.6 | 15 | 50 | 35.4 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 101 | 58.4 | 20 | 33.9 | 82.9 | 27.4 | 55.5 | 62.4 | 80.1 | 86.9 | 75 | 60 | 49.2 |
Botswana | 27 | 72.0 | 70 | 61.2 | 81.0 | 69.8 | 68.5 | 69.7 | 72.4 | 82.7 | 75 | 70 | 31.8 |
Brazil | 114 | 56.9 | 50 | 37.9 | 68.8 | 54.1 | 53.8 | 49.8 | 69.9 | 69.3 | 55 | 60 | 39.1 |
Bulgaria | 61 | 65.7 | 30 | 35.2 | 91.2 | 64.5 | 73.5 | 80.2 | 79.6 | 87.8 | 55 | 60 | 34.4 |
Burkina Faso | 98 | 58.9 | 30 | 31.3 | 83.0 | 82.3 | 60.7 | 55.0 | 78.8 | 67.8 | 60 | 40 | 24.3 |
Burma | 162 | 46.5 | 10 | 11.6 | 86.9 | 89.2 | 28.3 | 75.7 | 64.8 | 73.6 | 15 | 10 | 19.0 |
Burundi | 141 | 51.4 | 20 | 15.9 | 73.5 | 51.9 | 59.8 | 63.1 | 68.2 | 71.8 | 60 | 30 | 40.0 |
Cambodia | 108 | 57.4 | 30 | 18.7 | 90.8 | 88.4 | 36.6 | 50.2 | 77.9 | 71.0 | 60 | 50 | 19.6 |
Cameroon | 136 | 52.6 | 30 | 21.9 | 71.7 | 86.0 | 45.0 | 56.1 | 69.4 | 61.2 | 35 | 50 | 21.6 |
Canada | 6 | 80.2 | 90 | 87.7 | 79.7 | 47.3 | 89.3 | 83.1 | 76.3 | 88.3 | 80 | 80 | 41.9 |
Cape Verde | 60 | 66.1 | 70 | 54.9 | 77.4 | 68.6 | 63.8 | 48.0 | 79.1 | 69.6 | 70 | 60 | 32.3 |
Central African Republic | 161 | 46.7 | 10 | 20.6 | 65.1 | 92.6 | 33.9 | 40.4 | 72.5 | 51.8 | 50 | 30 | 15.7 |
Chad | 167 | 44.5 | 20 | 15.9 | 46.2 | 80.0 | 24.9 | 43.3 | 69.8 | 55.2 | 50 | 40 | 25.8 |
Chile | 7 | 78.7 | 90 | 72.3 | 76.5 | 83.8 | 69.3 | 69.3 | 84.1 | 82.0 | 90 | 70 | 23.2 |
China | 137 | 52.5 | 20 | 35.0 | 69.9 | 82.9 | 49.7 | 61.9 | 73.3 | 71.8 | 30 | 30 | 23.9 |
Colombia | 34 | 70.7 | 50 | 33.2 | 80.6 | 74.9 | 85.2 | 80.5 | 78.8 | 78.8 | 75 | 70 | 28.9 |
Comoros | 142 | 51.4 | 30 | 22.1 | 64.5 | 85.3 | 49.4 | 50.1 | 74.5 | 72.7 | 35 | 30 | 22.1 |
Democratic Republic of the Congo | 172 | 40.6 | 10 | 17.6 | 69.4 | 74.6 | 30.0 | 38.5 | 63.0 | 63.0 | 20 | 20 | 29.1 |
Republic of the Congo | 169 | 43.7 | 10 | 20.6 | 67.5 | 79.6 | 35.1 | 47.0 | 72.0 | 55.6 | 20 | 30 | 26.1 |
Costa Rica | 53 | 66.9 | 50 | 50.9 | 80.0 | 90.0 | 64.9 | 53.3 | 76.3 | 83.8 | 70 | 50 | 18.2 |
Côte d'Ivoire | 107 | 57.7 | 30 | 22.1 | 79.1 | 79.8 | 55.1 | 59.0 | 80.6 | 71.4 | 50 | 50 | 25.9 |
Croatia | 87 | 60.4 | 40 | 41.1 | 69.4 | 45.8 | 61.4 | 39.4 | 79.2 | 87.4 | 80 | 60 | 42.5 |
Cuba | 177 | 28.7 | 10 | 41.2 | 60.0 | 0.0 | 20.0 | 20.0 | 65.8 | 60.0 | 0 | 10 | 66.7 |
Cyprus | 46 | 67.6 | 70 | 64.0 | 79.7 | 36.2 | 79.7 | 70.2 | 78.8 | 82.8 | 65 | 50 | 46.1 |
Czech Republic | 26 | 72.2 | 70 | 45.3 | 81.7 | 43.8 | 70.1 | 84.0 | 79.4 | 87.8 | 80 | 80 | 43.3 |
Denmark | 10 | 76.1 | 90 | 93.7 | 39.3 | 0.5 | 98.1 | 91.2 | 80.0 | 87.8 | 90 | 90 | 57.6 |
Djibouti | 118 | 55.9 | 30 | 30.9 | 80.6 | 62.8 | 42.7 | 65.1 | 77.2 | 54.8 | 65 | 50 | 35.2 |
Dominica | 63 | 65.2 | 60 | 53.5 | 72.9 | 61.7 | 75.0 | 70.7 | 85.8 | 72.7 | 70 | 30 | 35.7 |
Dominican Republic | 80 | 61.3 | 30 | 27.3 | 83.7 | 92.3 | 56.1 | 55.2 | 75.7 | 77.8 | 75 | 40 | 16.1 |
Ecuador | 159 | 48.0 | 20 | 26.0 | 79.8 | 41.8 | 52.8 | 52.0 | 66.1 | 71.8 | 30 | 40 | 44.0 |
Egypt | 135 | 52.9 | 20 | 28.6 | 85.6 | 69.6 | 62.7 | 45.7 | 60.5 | 71.4 | 45 | 40 | 31.8 |
El Salvador | 59 | 66.2 | 40 | 34.3 | 79.6 | 85.8 | 59.6 | 63.3 | 80.0 | 79.0 | 70 | 70 | 21.7 |
Equatorial Guinea | 168 | 44.4 | 10 | 16.6 | 75.5 | 62.6 | 43.4 | 41.5 | 75.4 | 53.8 | 35 | 30 | 35.3 |
Eritrea | 174 | 38.5 | 10 | 22.9 | 57.0 | 66.1 | 18.6 | 63.6 | 57.6 | 69.1 | 0 | 20 | 33.6 |
Estonia | 11 | 75.9 | 90 | 64.2 | 80.4 | 56.0 | 77.6 | 55.9 | 76.9 | 87.8 | 90 | 80 | 38.3 |
Ethiopia | 151 | 50.0 | 30 | 27.0 | 77.5 | 89.9 | 57.8 | 54.7 | 59.0 | 64.2 | 20 | 20 | 18.4 |
Fiji | 99 | 58.7 | 25 | 20.0 | 82.3 | 76.2 | 64.9 | 73.1 | 75.2 | 70.2 | 50 | 50 | 28.2 |
Finland | 19 | 73.4 | 90 | 93.4 | 65.1 | 8.9 | 93.6 | 46.5 | 78.9 | 87.8 | 90 | 80 | 55.1 |
France | 70 | 63.5 | 80 | 69.9 | 48.4 | 5.6 | 79.9 | 51.8 | 76.1 | 82.8 | 70 | 70 | 56.1 |
Gabon | 105 | 57.8 | 40 | 29.1 | 74.5 | 81.7 | 58.9 | 63.0 | 75.1 | 61.0 | 55 | 40 | 24.7 |
Gambia | 92 | 59.5 | 30 | 31.7 | 79.0 | 79.8 | 57.4 | 65.8 | 71.3 | 65.0 | 65 | 50 | 26.0 |
Georgia | 22 | 72.6 | 40 | 42.8 | 87.3 | 69.7 | 87.8 | 91.2 | 78.4 | 88.6 | 80 | 60 | 31.8 |
Germany | 18 | 73.4 | 90 | 80.1 | 61.2 | 38.2 | 89.9 | 46.4 | 80.8 | 87.8 | 90 | 70 | 45.4 |
Ghana | 66 | 64.2 | 50 | 40.4 | 85.4 | 83.3 | 62.6 | 60.2 | 65.8 | 64.8 | 70 | 60 | 23.6 |
Greece | 119 | 55.7 | 40 | 33.2 | 65.9 | 19.2 | 75.8 | 53.9 | 76.3 | 82.8 | 60 | 50 | 51.9 |
Guatemala | 83 | 61.2 | 25 | 28.7 | 79.6 | 93.6 | 58.4 | 49.3 | 76.7 | 85.4 | 65 | 50 | 14.6 |
Guinea | 133 | 53.5 | 20 | 19.2 | 69.3 | 86.2 | 51.8 | 73.4 | 64.1 | 61.2 | 50 | 40 | 21.5 |
Guinea-Bissau | 143 | 51.3 | 20 | 20.2 | 89.0 | 86.6 | 40.5 | 61.4 | 74.4 | 61.4 | 30 | 30 | 21.2 |
Guyana | 121 | 55.7 | 30 | 24.4 | 68.4 | 71.8 | 64.3 | 72.6 | 78.1 | 72.0 | 45 | 30 | 30.6 |
Haiti | 156 | 48.9 | 10 | 16.9 | 80.3 | 66.3 | 33.3 | 68.5 | 73.6 | 70.4 | 40 | 30 | 33.5 |
Honduras | 112 | 57.1 | 30 | 23.7 | 84.9 | 79.8 | 55.4 | 26.5 | 75.1 | 75.4 | 60 | 60 | 25.9 |
Hong Kong | 1 | 90.1 | 90 | 82.3 | 93.0 | 89.7 | 98.9 | 95.5 | 82.0 | 90.0 | 90 | 90 | 18.5 |
Hungary | 51 | 67.0 | 60 | 48.6 | 81.1 | 26.8 | 79.3 | 65.7 | 75.6 | 87.8 | 75 | 70 | 49.4 |
Iceland | 23 | 72.4 | 90 | 84.2 | 72.9 | 32.9 | 91.2 | 59.1 | 76.0 | 87.9 | 70 | 60 | 47.3 |
India | 120 | 55.7 | 50 | 31.5 | 79.4 | 77.8 | 37.7 | 74.0 | 65.5 | 65.6 | 35 | 40 | 27.2 |
Indonesia | 100 | 58.5 | 30 | 28.0 | 83.4 | 89.8 | 54.8 | 47.8 | 76.4 | 74.8 | 40 | 60 | 18.5 |
Iran | 173 | 40.3 | 10 | 23.4 | 80.6 | 85.9 | 62.3 | 41.7 | 47.3 | 41.4 | 0 | 10 | 21.7 |
Ireland | 9 | 76.2 | 90 | 74.8 | 74.0 | 30.6 | 83.4 | 79.5 | 81.7 | 87.8 | 90 | 70 | 48.1 |
Israel | 44 | 68.4 | 75 | 59.3 | 60.1 | 40.3 | 73.2 | 63.0 | 80.6 | 82.9 | 80 | 70 | 44.6 |
Italy | 86 | 60.9 | 50 | 38.5 | 55.5 | 25.6 | 75.5 | 52.5 | 78.9 | 87.8 | 85 | 60 | 49.8 |
Jamaica | 56 | 66.7 | 40 | 33.0 | 77.2 | 69.4 | 84.6 | 75.6 | 77.3 | 75.1 | 85 | 50 | 31.9 |
Japan | 25 | 72.4 | 80 | 77.8 | 69.2 | 47.1 | 80.0 | 79.8 | 87.5 | 82.4 | 70 | 50 | 42.0 |
Jordan | 39 | 69.2 | 60 | 45.6 | 94.0 | 66.9 | 62.0 | 72.9 | 81.3 | 79.6 | 70 | 60 | 33.2 |
Kazakhstan | 67 | 63.7 | 30 | 25.7 | 92.9 | 85.0 | 74.4 | 86.7 | 74.4 | 78.2 | 40 | 50 | 22.3 |
Kenya | 111 | 57.1 | 30 | 21.0 | 78.0 | 74.6 | 55.8 | 64.0 | 74.9 | 72.8 | 50 | 50 | 29.1 |
Kiribati | 164 | 46.3 | 30 | 29.2 | 71.4 | 0.0 | 57.0 | 83.6 | 81.3 | 55.4 | 25 | 30 | 91.8 |
Korea, North | 178 | 1.0 | 5 | 5.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
Korea, South | 31 | 71.2 | 70 | 54.0 | 72.6 | 72.6 | 92.8 | 47.8 | 79.6 | 72.6 | 70 | 80 | 30.2 |
Kuwait | 76 | 62.3 | 50 | 43.7 | 97.7 | 55.6 | 57.7 | 63.6 | 73.2 | 76.7 | 55 | 50 | 38.5 |
Kyrgyzstan | 85 | 61.1 | 20 | 19.2 | 94.6 | 60.2 | 74.2 | 83.8 | 73.7 | 75.2 | 60 | 50 | 36.4 |
Laos | 144 | 51.2 | 15 | 18.6 | 86.6 | 86.7 | 60.7 | 54.9 | 75.5 | 58.6 | 35 | 20 | 21.0 |
Latvia | 42 | 68.7 | 50 | 43.6 | 84.6 | 54.9 | 82.5 | 68.5 | 79.7 | 87.8 | 85 | 50 | 38.8 |
Lebanon | 96 | 59.4 | 20 | 24.5 | 90.9 | 73.7 | 55.6 | 58.7 | 74.5 | 75.8 | 60 | 60 | 29.6 |
Lesotho | 154 | 49.5 | 40 | 37.1 | 67.4 | 0.0 | 54.0 | 62.4 | 75.5 | 68.6 | 50 | 40 | 63.1 |
Liberia | 138 | 52.4 | 30 | 33.8 | 83.6 | 70.5 | 62.3 | 47.0 | 72.9 | 64.1 | 40 | 20 | 31.4 |
Lithuania | 21 | 73.0 | 60 | 49.9 | 92.9 | 55.9 | 85.7 | 59.0 | 78.6 | 87.8 | 80 | 80 | 38.3 |
Luxembourg | 16 | 74.2 | 90 | 84.1 | 62.8 | 47.6 | 72.6 | 43.1 | 78.9 | 87.8 | 95 | 80 | 41.8 |
Macau | 29 | 71.3 | 60 | 49.7 | 71.4 | 91.7 | 60.0 | 55.0 | 79.8 | 90.0 | 85 | 70 | 16.6 |
Macedonia | 43 | 68.6 | 35 | 39.6 | 91.4 | 70.7 | 81.0 | 78.8 | 83.5 | 85.9 | 60 | 60 | 31.3 |
Madagascar | 79 | 61.7 | 40 | 27.3 | 90.8 | 92.3 | 62.8 | 43.9 | 77.6 | 77.8 | 55 | 50 | 16.0 |
Malawi | 124 | 55.4 | 45 | 31.9 | 78.0 | 63.0 | 38.9 | 60.3 | 64.1 | 72.7 | 50 | 50 | 35.1 |
Malaysia | 37 | 69.6 | 55 | 44.3 | 84.6 | 75.6 | 85.6 | 78.5 | 81.0 | 76.4 | 55 | 60 | 28.5 |
Maldives | 145 | 51.0 | 20 | 21.9 | 97.4 | 43.8 | 87.4 | 71.7 | 69.4 | 43.8 | 25 | 30 | 43.3 |
Mali | 122 | 55.5 | 20 | 27.7 | 69.8 | 81.7 | 48.0 | 63.2 | 76.7 | 73.2 | 55 | 40 | 24.7 |
Malta | 58 | 66.4 | 75 | 55.8 | 63.7 | 47.2 | 62.4 | 53.2 | 79.1 | 87.8 | 80 | 60 | 42.0 |
Mauritania | 134 | 53.2 | 25 | 23.9 | 81.7 | 75.8 | 38.0 | 53.1 | 75.5 | 69.0 | 50 | 40 | 28.4 |
Mauritius | 8 | 76.5 | 65 | 53.4 | 92.2 | 81.8 | 74.4 | 78.0 | 76.7 | 88.6 | 85 | 70 | 24.7 |
Mexico | 55 | 66.8 | 50 | 29.7 | 80.9 | 78.9 | 76.8 | 58.3 | 77.4 | 85.6 | 70 | 60 | 26.6 |
Micronesia | 153 | 49.8 | 30 | 30.0 | 97.5 | 0.0 | 51.7 | 77.9 | 75.2 | 81.0 | 25 | 30 | 65.3 |
Moldova | 110 | 57.3 | 40 | 29.5 | 85.8 | 54.4 | 70.1 | 37.9 | 75.0 | 80.1 | 50 | 50 | 39.0 |
Mongolia | 97 | 58.9 | 30 | 28.2 | 81.8 | 39.1 | 71.8 | 81.1 | 72.4 | 74.7 | 50 | 60 | 45.1 |
Montenegro | 68 | 63.6 | 40 | 37.8 | 92.5 | 42.6 | 77.6 | 68.6 | 78.6 | 83.1 | 65 | 50 | 43.8 |
Morocco | 103 | 58.3 | 40 | 33.3 | 71.3 | 64.1 | 76.2 | 31.5 | 78.1 | 58.8 | 70 | 60 | 34.6 |
Mozambique | 128 | 55.0 | 30 | 26.2 | 75.7 | 64.6 | 65.2 | 36.7 | 80.8 | 75.5 | 45 | 50 | 34.4 |
Namibia | 94 | 59.4 | 30 | 44.2 | 66.9 | 58.8 | 64.4 | 81.9 | 75.0 | 82.9 | 50 | 40 | 37.0 |
Nepal | 149 | 50.1 | 30 | 21.3 | 85.9 | 89.6 | 58.5 | 43.8 | 76.3 | 61.0 | 5 | 30 | 18.6 |
Netherlands | 15 | 74.2 | 90 | 88.0 | 51.7 | 25.6 | 89.7 | 59.6 | 79.9 | 87.8 | 90 | 80 | 49.8 |
New Zealand | 5 | 81.2 | 95 | 94.0 | 71.2 | 32.3 | 96.1 | 90.2 | 86.3 | 86.8 | 80 | 80 | 47.5 |
Nicaragua | 102 | 58.4 | 15 | 24.1 | 78.6 | 80.0 | 52.6 | 60.3 | 72.8 | 85.4 | 65 | 50 | 25.8 |
Niger | 127 | 55.1 | 30 | 26.0 | 76.8 | 88.4 | 35.2 | 45.4 | 88.3 | 65.6 | 55 | 40 | 19.6 |
Nigeria | 129 | 54.3 | 30 | 22.7 | 85.0 | 74.5 | 48.0 | 66.4 | 73.1 | 63.8 | 40 | 40 | 29.2 |
Norway | 32 | 70.9 | 90 | 88.1 | 50.6 | 42.2 | 90.9 | 44.6 | 78.7 | 89.1 | 75 | 60 | 43.9 |
Oman | 48 | 67.4 | 50 | 48.2 | 98.5 | 56.0 | 68.3 | 75.5 | 73.6 | 78.7 | 65 | 60 | 38.3 |
Pakistan | 126 | 55.2 | 30 | 22.7 | 80.6 | 88.3 | 69.4 | 47.3 | 68.5 | 64.8 | 40 | 40 | 19.8 |
Panama | 71 | 63.4 | 30 | 34.0 | 84.3 | 78.7 | 73.0 | 39.4 | 75.1 | 74.2 | 75 | 70 | 26.6 |
Papua New Guinea | 132 | 53.9 | 20 | 20.2 | 66.7 | 75.4 | 57.0 | 73.7 | 75.5 | 85.1 | 35 | 30 | 28.6 |
Paraguay | 78 | 62.0 | 30 | 20.5 | 96.2 | 89.0 | 58.0 | 28.9 | 80.9 | 81.1 | 75 | 60 | 19.1 |
Peru | 47 | 67.4 | 40 | 34.0 | 79.1 | 89.1 | 70.6 | 61.4 | 83.3 | 87.0 | 70 | 60 | 19.1 |
Philippines | 89 | 60.1 | 30 | 26.1 | 79.2 | 92.3 | 59.9 | 49.7 | 78.0 | 75.5 | 60 | 50 | 16.0 |
Poland | 50 | 67.0 | 60 | 54.8 | 76.1 | 43.2 | 70.1 | 60.4 | 77.8 | 87.8 | 70 | 70 | 43.5 |
Portugal | 69 | 63.5 | 70 | 61.1 | 60.1 | 26.8 | 84.9 | 34.6 | 79.3 | 87.8 | 70 | 60 | 49.4 |
Qatar | 30 | 71.2 | 70 | 72.4 | 99.9 | 72.1 | 71.7 | 70.0 | 81.2 | 79.8 | 45 | 50 | 30.5 |
Romania | 62 | 65.5 | 40 | 37.7 | 87.0 | 59.2 | 71.0 | 65.2 | 77.1 | 87.8 | 80 | 50 | 36.9 |
Russia | 140 | 51.9 | 25 | 22.1 | 85.6 | 61.5 | 70.0 | 55.8 | 69.4 | 74.6 | 25 | 30 | 35.8 |
Rwanda | 65 | 64.7 | 30 | 46.9 | 80.3 | 78.2 | 69.6 | 84.1 | 74.8 | 77.7 | 65 | 40 | 27.0 |
Saint Lucia | 33 | 70.7 | 70 | 70.6 | 75.7 | 63.6 | 83.1 | 84.5 | 82.7 | 71.9 | 65 | 40 | 34.8 |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 52 | 67.0 | 70 | 61.1 | 73.7 | 72.4 | 76.3 | 78.7 | 79.8 | 67.6 | 50 | 40 | 30.3 |
Samoa | 84 | 61.1 | 60 | 38.0 | 79.9 | 42.2 | 73.7 | 80.3 | 76.1 | 75.8 | 55 | 30 | 43.9 |
São Tomé and Príncipe | 157 | 48.8 | 20 | 32.5 | 86.9 | 27.9 | 52.6 | 44.7 | 68.3 | 75.3 | 50 | 30 | 49.0 |
Saudi Arabia | 77 | 62.2 | 40 | 43.7 | 99.7 | 63.1 | 67.3 | 75.8 | 68.7 | 74.0 | 40 | 50 | 35.1 |
Senegal | 125 | 55.4 | 40 | 29.5 | 65.1 | 75.4 | 47.5 | 41.5 | 81.8 | 73.2 | 60 | 40 | 28.6 |
Serbia | 95 | 59.4 | 40 | 34.0 | 83.1 | 38.6 | 59.3 | 70.1 | 66.9 | 77.0 | 75 | 50 | 45.2 |
Seychelles | 117 | 56.2 | 50 | 48.5 | 76.8 | 61.8 | 67.6 | 68.5 | 75.1 | 33.4 | 50 | 30 | 35.7 |
Sierra Leone | 148 | 50.5 | 15 | 24.6 | 80.7 | 85.7 | 55.3 | 28.7 | 70.2 | 70.2 | 55 | 20 | 21.9 |
Singapore | 2 | 89.4 | 90 | 91.9 | 91.2 | 91.2 | 96.8 | 96.5 | 81.5 | 90.0 | 85 | 80 | 17.1 |
Slovakia | 57 | 66.4 | 50 | 41.8 | 80.2 | 56.0 | 67.0 | 53.6 | 78.1 | 87.8 | 80 | 70 | 38.3 |
Slovenia | 74 | 62.7 | 60 | 61.0 | 58.9 | 22.6 | 85.4 | 51.0 | 80.3 | 87.8 | 70 | 50 | 50.8 |
Solomon Islands | 165 | 46.2 | 30 | 25.0 | 61.4 | 21.3 | 65.2 | 65.2 | 75.4 | 73.0 | 15 | 30 | 51.2 |
South Africa | 75 | 62.5 | 50 | 41.6 | 68.7 | 69.1 | 74.5 | 54.4 | 75.3 | 76.1 | 55 | 60 | 32.1 |
Spain | 49 | 67.2 | 70 | 62.6 | 54.0 | 38.7 | 77.3 | 52.2 | 79.9 | 87.8 | 80 | 70 | 45.2 |
Sri Lanka | 90 | 60.0 | 40 | 33.4 | 84.9 | 86.3 | 74.4 | 59.2 | 68.0 | 73.6 | 40 | 40 | 21.4 |
Suriname | 130 | 54.2 | 40 | 32.9 | 69.0 | 78.3 | 41.8 | 81.8 | 71.8 | 66.2 | 30 | 30 | 26.9 |
Swaziland | 82 | 61.2 | 40 | 31.6 | 74.7 | 70.9 | 64.2 | 71.7 | 72.3 | 81.5 | 65 | 40 | 31.2 |
Sweden | 20 | 73.1 | 90 | 92.3 | 42.9 | 21.4 | 91.1 | 52.9 | 82.5 | 87.8 | 90 | 80 | 51.2 |
Switzerland | 4 | 81.6 | 90 | 88.1 | 68.9 | 65.7 | 75.4 | 87.4 | 85.2 | 90.0 | 85 | 80 | 33.8 |
Taiwan | 17 | 73.9 | 70 | 59.7 | 80.3 | 84.7 | 93.9 | 53.1 | 81.7 | 85.8 | 70 | 60 | 22.6 |
Tajikistan | 139 | 52.0 | 20 | 19.4 | 92.3 | 78.1 | 58.4 | 45.5 | 67.7 | 73.2 | 25 | 40 | 27.0 |
Tanzania | 106 | 57.8 | 30 | 28.8 | 79.7 | 78.3 | 47.0 | 61.1 | 66.0 | 76.8 | 60 | 50 | 26.9 |
Thailand | 72 | 63.3 | 45 | 33.6 | 79.7 | 83.6 | 71.4 | 61.6 | 68.6 | 75.0 | 45 | 70 | 23.4 |
Timor-Leste | 170 | 43.2 | 20 | 25.4 | 64.7 | 0.0 | 45.4 | 79.2 | 68.3 | 64.4 | 45 | 20 | 139.7 |
Togo | 152 | 49.9 | 30 | 23.8 | 69.7 | 82.4 | 43.3 | 42.8 | 79.3 | 62.8 | 35 | 30 | 24.2 |
Tonga | 104 | 58.2 | 20 | 28.6 | 86.7 | 74.8 | 74.6 | 91.2 | 71.3 | 79.5 | 35 | 20 | 29.0 |
Trinidad and Tobago | 73 | 62.7 | 50 | 34.0 | 84.8 | 62.5 | 59.4 | 76.4 | 71.7 | 78.6 | 60 | 50 | 35.4 |
Tunisia | 109 | 57.3 | 40 | 39.2 | 74.3 | 63.8 | 80.7 | 72.6 | 75.9 | 61.8 | 35 | 30 | 34.8 |
Turkey | 64 | 64.9 | 50 | 44.0 | 77.5 | 63.5 | 67.6 | 59.7 | 71.8 | 84.5 | 70 | 60 | 34.9 |
Turkmenistan | 171 | 42.2 | 5 | 13.4 | 95.2 | 93.0 | 30.0 | 30.0 | 65.9 | 79.2 | 0 | 10 | 15.2 |
Uganda | 91 | 59.9 | 30 | 23.8 | 79.1 | 87.3 | 45.1 | 87.4 | 71.0 | 75.4 | 60 | 40 | 20.6 |
Ukraine | 155 | 49.3 | 30 | 21.9 | 79.1 | 37.5 | 59.8 | 49.8 | 78.7 | 86.2 | 20 | 30 | 45.6 |
United Arab Emirates | 28 | 71.4 | 55 | 66.4 | 99.6 | 83.1 | 74.4 | 82.9 | 84.6 | 82.5 | 35 | 50 | 23.7 |
United Kingdom | 14 | 74.9 | 90 | 76.4 | 56.6 | 29.5 | 92.0 | 73.1 | 73.5 | 87.8 | 90 | 80 | 48.5 |
United States | 12 | 75.5 | 80 | 72.0 | 65.8 | 48.1 | 89.2 | 97.2 | 75.4 | 86.8 | 70 | 70 | 41.6 |
Uruguay | 38 | 69.3 | 70 | 70.6 | 77.4 | 68.0 | 74.5 | 68.1 | 72.1 | 82.5 | 80 | 30 | 32.6 |
Uzbekistan | 163 | 46.5 | 15 | 13.4 | 90.3 | 70.4 | 75.7 | 60.8 | 63.1 | 66.1 | 0 | 10 | 31.4 |
Vanuatu | 93 | 59.5 | 40 | 33.5 | 97.3 | 81.7 | 54.8 | 56.8 | 82.7 | 48.0 | 60 | 40 | 24.7 |
Venezuela | 175 | 36.3 | 5 | 16.5 | 75.3 | 51.8 | 43.4 | 33.7 | 49.7 | 62.7 | 5 | 20 | 40.1 |
Vietnam | 147 | 50.8 | 15 | 26.9 | 77.0 | 71.4 | 62.0 | 68.3 | 63.6 | 78.7 | 15 | 30 | 30.9 |
Yemen | 123 | 55.5 | 30 | 19.4 | 91.7 | 74.9 | 59.2 | 54.9 | 62.1 | 82.4 | 50 | 30 | 28.9 |
Zambia | 88 | 60.4 | 30 | 31.3 | 71.8 | 82.9 | 74.9 | 50.1 | 68.0 | 84.6 | 60 | 50 | 23.9 |
Zimbabwe | 176 | 35.5 | 10 | 19.3 | 63.3 | 64.0 | 34.5 | 22.2 | 73.0 | 54.2 | 5 | 10 | 34.6 |
Brunei Darussalam | 40 | 69.0 | 40 | 53.3 | 90.2 | 66.1 | 68.2 | 96.5 | 74.2 | 81.8 | 70 | 50 | 33.6 |
2012 and 2013 rankings
Key: ██ Free (80-100), ██ Mostly Free (70.0-79.9), ██ Moderately Free (60.0-69.9), ██ Mostly Unfree (50.0-59.9), ██ Repressed (0-49.9).
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Historical rankings (1995–2008)
Country/Region | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996 | 1995 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hong Kong[lower-alpha 1] | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Singapore | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Ireland | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 27 | 20 |
Australia | 4 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 8 |
United States | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 4 |
New Zealand | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | |
Canada | 7 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 21 | 20 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 20 | 18 |
Chile | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 13 | 14 |
Switzerland | 9 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | |
United Kingdom | 10 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 3 |
Denmark | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 17 | 20 | 23 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 34 | 30 | 31 | |
Estonia | 12 | 11 | 15 | 14 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 24 | 13 | 15 | 24 | 38 | 26 |
Netherlands | 13 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 21 | 57 | 24 | 20 | 23 | |
Iceland | 14 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 19 | 16 | 19 | 15 | 15 | 19 | 18 | 19 | ||
Luxembourg | 15 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 15 | |
Finland | 16 | 16 | 17 | 21 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 27 | 50 | 54 | 55 | 39 | 47 | |
Japan | 17 | 18 | 18 | 36 | 50 | 34 | 39 | 23 | 19 | 27 | 21 | 21 | 14 | 6 |
Mauritius | 18 | 32 | 35 | 35 | 51 | 52 | 33 | 45 | 36 | 20 | ||||
Bahrain | 19 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 |
Belgium | 20 | 17 | 24 | 30 | 30 | 33 | 34 | 57 | 55 | 60 | 48 | 44 | 36 | |
Barbados | 21 | 27 | 20 | 24 | 28 | 23 | 17 | 20 | 27 | 37 | 33 | 46 | 53 | |
Cyprus | 22 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 15 | 19 | 20 | 22 | 35 | 33 | 29 | 27 | 30 | |
Germany | 23 | 22 | 25 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 29 | 43 | 40 | 52 | 29 | 25 | 17 |
The Bahamas | 24 | 19 | 19 | 15 | 20 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 |
Taiwan | 25 | 25 | 29 | 19 | 26 | 21 | 22 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 9 | 7 |
Lithuania | 26 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 18 | 27 | 43 | 53 | 67 | 67 | 74 | 78 | 104 | |
Sweden | 27 | 33 | 27 | 27 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 43 | 47 | 51 | 53 | 53 | 55 | 41 |
Armenia | 28 | 30 | 14 | 25 | 23 | 37 | 32 | 46 | 62 | 96 | 117 | 123 | 125 | |
Trinidad and Tobago | 29 | 23 | 26 | 17 | 21 | 29 | 26 | 19 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 24 | |
Austria | 30 | 26 | 30 | 34 | 32 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 31 | 53 | 43 | 40 | 26 | 16 |
Spain | 31 | 28 | 32 | 31 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 36 | 41 | 45 | 62 | 68 | 65 | 34 |
Georgia | 32 | 31 | 54 | 93 | 78 | 84 | 104 | 87 | 107 | 114 | 122 | 125 | 123 | |
El Salvador | 33 | 29 | 28 | 16 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 17 | 9 | 9 | 22 | 18 | 21 | 19 |
Norway | 34 | 37 | 34 | 45 | 42 | 39 | 37 | 41 | 22 | 29 | 31 | 41 | 39 | |
Slovakia | 35 | 36 | 33 | 42 | 48 | 77 | 76 | 85 | 108 | 105 | 85 | 85 | 75 | 46 |
Botswana | 36 | 35 | 31 | 26 | 25 | 30 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 59 | 60 | 72 | 56 | 57 |
Czech Republic | 37 | 39 | 40 | 47 | 35 | 36 | 40 | 26 | 30 | 23 | 28 | 54 | 29 | 23 |
Latvia | 38 | 38 | 37 | 39 | 33 | 44 | 52 | 44 | 57 | 50 | 56 | 57 | 86 | |
Kuwait | 39 | 41 | 41 | 48 | 55 | 43 | 46 | 35 | 25 | 24 | 38 | 42 | 35 | |
Uruguay | 40 | 34 | 43 | 33 | 37 | 25 | 30 | 24 | 28 | 30 | 26 | 31 | 46 | 37 |
- ↑ Special administrative region (SAR) of China since 1997
Method
The Index's 2008 definition of economic freedom is "The highest form of economic freedom provides an absolute right of property ownership, fully realized freedoms of movement for labor, capital, and goods, and an absolute absence of coercion or constraint of economic liberty beyond the extent necessary for citizens to protect and maintain liberty itself."[10]
The index scores nations on 10 broad factors of economic freedom using statistics from organizations like the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Economist Intelligence Unit:
- Business Freedom: Business freedom is a quantitative measure of the ability to start, operate, and close a business that represents the overall burden of regulation as well as the efficiency of government in the regulatory process.
- Trade Freedom: Trade freedom is a composite measure of the absence of tariff and non-tariff barriers that affect imports and exports of goods and services. Different imports entering a country can, and often do, face different tariffs.
- Monetary Freedom: Monetary freedom combines a measure of price stability with an assessment of price controls. Both inflation and price controls distort market activity. Price stability without microeconomic intervention is the ideal state for the free market.
- Government Size/Spending: This component considers the level of government expenditures as a percentage of GDP. Government expenditures, including consumption and transfers, account for the entire score.
- Fiscal Freedom: Fiscal freedom is a measure of the tax burden imposed by government.
- Property Rights: The property rights component is an assessment of the ability of individuals to accumulate private property, secured by clear laws that are fully enforced by the state.
- Investment Freedom: In an economically free country, there would be no constraints on the flow of investment capital. Individuals and firms would be allowed to move their resources into and out of specific activities internally and across the country’s borders without restriction.
- Financial Freedom: Financial freedom is a measure of banking efficiency as well as a measure of independence from government control and interference in the financial sector.
- Freedom from Corruption: Corruption erodes economic freedom by introducing insecurity and uncertainty into economic relationships. The higher the level of corruption, the lower the level of overall economic freedom and the lower a country’s score.
- Labor Freedom: The labor freedom component is a quantitative measure that looks into aspects of the legal and regulatory framework of a country’s labor market.
The 10 factors are averaged equally into a total score. Each one of the 10 freedoms is graded using a scale from 0 to 100, where 100 represents the maximum freedom. A score of 100 signifies an economic environment or set of policies that is most conducive to economic freedom.[10] The methodology has shifted and changed as new data and measurements have become available, especially in the area of Labor freedom, which was given its own indicator spot in 2007.[3]
Meaning
The Heritage Foundation reports that the top 20% on the index have twice the per capita income of those in the second quintile, and five times that of the bottom 20%.[11] Carl Schramm, who wrote the first chapter of the 2008 Index, states that cities of Medieval Italy and mid-19th century Midwestern American cities all flourished to the degree they possessed economic fluidity and institutional adaptiveness created by economic freedom.[12]
According to Will Wilkinson of the libertarian think tank Cato Institute, studies show that higher economic freedom correlates strongly with higher self-reported happiness.[13] According to economists Tomi Ovaska and Ryo Takashima, economic freedom research suggests "that people unmistakably care about the degree to which the society where they live provides them opportunities and the freedom to undertake new projects, strongly with and make choices based on one's personal preferences."[14]
According to the Cato Institute, higher economic freedom promotes participation and collaboration.[15] Also claimed is that higher economic freedom is extremely significant in preventing wars; according to their calculations, freedom is around 54 times more effective than democracy (as measured by Democracy Score) in diminishing violent conflict.[16]
Ratings
Since the index was created in 1995, the score for world economic freedom has increased, rising 2.6 points up to 2008.[17] In 2011 the score had decreased from the 2008 score of 60.2 to 59.7, which represents an increase of 2.2 points since 1995. The Economic Freedom score improved for 117 countries, the majority of countries included in the index, which were mainly developing and emerging market economies. With the exception of Europe and North America, there were increased levels of freedom recorded in all regions, with the greatest improvement shown in Sub-Saharan Africa. The top five "free" economies identified by the 2011 index were Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and Switzerland, each scoring over 80 on the economic freedom grading scale.[18] Since the Index was created in 1995, Hong Kong has been the top performing economy.[18][19]
In 2011, the United States dropped to 9th place behind such countries as Denmark, Canada, and first-place Hong Kong.[18] The Heritage Foundation has pointed to increases in government spending as the reason for the United States' decline, and according to data from the 2011 index, the growth rates of countries with the highest levels of government spending were 4.5 points lower, on average, than countries where government spending was under control.[20] In their "Executive Highlights" of index results, the Heritage Foundation stated that "high levels of government spending in response to the global economic turmoil have not resulted in higher economic growth".[18]
The results from the 2012 index showed an overall decline in global economic freedom; according to The Heritage Foundation, the average score in its ranking was the second lowest of the last ten years.[21] In particular, the U.S. dropped to 10th place in the ranking, and has now fallen three places since 2008, when it was 7th.[22] A report issued by the Foundation stated that government spending was the cause of the decline, and had "not only failed to arrest the economic crisis, but also—in many countries—seems to be prolonging it".[23] According to the report, activity in the private sector is threatened by the greater government spending, which has increased public debt and led to more bureaucracy.[21]
Countries that shared the same rank received a tie score.
Reception
According to the Freedom House, "there is a high and statistically significant correlation between the level of political freedom as measured by Freedom House and economic freedom as measured by the Wall Street Journal/Heritage Foundation survey."[24] The Millennium Challenge Account, a U.S. government foreign aid program, has used the Trade freedom indicator in determining which countries will receive their performance-based compacts.[25]
Critics such as Jeffrey Sachs have contested the Index's assumption that economic openness necessarily leads to better growth. In his book The End of Poverty, Sachs graphed countries' ratings on the index against GDP per capita growth between 1995 and 2003, claiming to demonstrate no correlation between a country's rating and its rate of economic growth. Sachs pointed out, as examples, that countries with good ratings such as Switzerland and Uruguay had sluggish economic performances, others, like China, with poorer rating had very strong economic growth.[26]
The UAE questioned the rating of their country's economic freedom in 2008, comparing its middling rating with the high rating they had received from other indicators such as Transparency International and Moody's. They also argued that the report is "unreliable", because its methodology had changed twice in the last two years.[27]
Stefan Karlsson of the Ludwig von Mises Institute, challenged the usefulness of the index due to the fuzziness of many of the categories used to determine freedom.[28] John Miller roundly criticizes the "Index", writing in Dollars & Sense, "In the hands of the Wall Street Journal and the Heritage Foundation, Washington's foremost right-wing think tank, however, an economic freedom index merely measures corporate and entrepreneurial freedom from accountability. Upon examination, the index turns out to be a poor barometer of either freedom more broadly construed or of prosperity."[29] According to Left Business Observer, growth in Index accounts for 10% of the variation in the growth of GDP.[30]
See also
- List of countries by economic freedom
- List of freedom indices
- Mary O'Grady, an editor of the Wall Street Journal and co-editor of the Index of Economic Freedom
- Gross National Happiness
- Bhutan GNH Index
- Happiness economics
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Economic Freedom Index - Downloads
- ↑ "2013 Index of Economic Freedom Country Ranking", Highlights of the 2013 Index of Economic Freedom, Terry Miller, Kim R. Holmes, Edwin J. Feulner, The Heritage Foundation in partnership with The Wall Street Journal, 24 January 2013
- ↑ "Ranking the World by Economic Freedom", Highlights of the 2012 Index of Economic Freedom, Terry Miller, Kim R. Holmes, Edwin J. Feulner, The Heritage Foundation in partnership with The Wall Street Journal, 6 January 2012
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ "In Pursuit of Happiness Research: Is It Reliable? What Does It Imply for Policy?", Will Wilkinson, The Cato institute, Policy Analysis No. 590, 11 April 2007
- ↑ "Economic Policy and the Level of Self-Perceived Well-Being: An International Comparison", Tomi Ovaska and Ryo Takashima, Journal of Socio-Economics, Vol. 35, No. 2 (April 2006), pp. 308–325
- ↑ More Freedom = More Happiness, Public Issues, Libertad Desarrollo, No. 750, 23 January 2006, ISSN 0717-1528
- ↑ "Chapter2: Economic Freedom and Peace", Erik Gartzke, in Economic Freedom of the World: 2005 Annual Report, James Gwartney and Robert Lawson, Fraser Institute, 30 August 2005
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Adrian Karatnycky. Freedom in the World: The Annual Survey of Political Rights and Civil Liberties. Transaction Publishers. 2001. ISBN 978-0-7658-0101-2. p. 11
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for our Time, Jeffrey Sachs, Penguin Books, 2005, ISBN 1-59420-045-9, pp. 320–321.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ "Free, Free at Last", John Miller, Dollars and Sense, No. 258, March/April 2005
- ↑ "Laissez-faire Olympics, an LBO special report", Left Business Observer, 26 March 2005
External links
- 2014 Index of Economic Freedom 2014 Index of Economic Freedom
- Index of Economic Freedom from the Heritage Foundation
- Index of Economic Freedom in the 50 States from the Mercatus Center
- List of Global Development Indexes and Rankings