Economic Freedom

An Open Letter to the People of Hong Kong

— Jul 3, 2020

An international group of think tanks from 35 nations and territories from around the world has penned an open letter condemning the actions of the Communist Party of China and supporting the people of Hong Kong. On Tuesday, China’s National People’s Congress passed its controversial national security law, which violates Hong Kong’s Basic Law and encroaches on the city’s freedoms and liberties. The letter, which details Hong Kong’s success since the Second World War in becoming one of the most prosperous, entrepreneurial, and freest places on earth, is signed by 37 member organizations of the Economic Freedom of the World Network, which is led by Canada’s Fraser Institute.

Women's Economic Rights—What's Changed and Why Does It Matter?

— Mar 5, 2020

Women's Economic Rights—What's Changed and Why Does It Matter? is a new study that highlights how women benefit when they enjoy the same economic rights as men, and tracks changes in economic freedom for women around the world from 2016 to 2018, the most recent year of comparable data. During that time, 83 countries improved women’s economic rights, while 54 countries imposed greater restrictions on women’s economic freedom.

Visit our Women and Progress website

The Human Freedom Index 2019

— Dec 18, 2019

The Human Freedom Index, 2019 finds that New Zealand is again the freest country in the world, followed by Switzerland and Hong Kong. Canada ranks 4th globally, and the United States ranks 15th in this year’s report. The index ranks 162 countries and jurisdictions based on 76 indicators of personal, civil and economic freedoms and is a joint project with the Cato Institute in the U.S. and Germany’s Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom.

Economic Freedom of the Arab World: 2019 Annual Report

— Dec 18, 2019

Jordan is the most economically-free nation in the Arab world, followed by Bahrain and the U.A.E., according to the Economic Freedom of the Arab World: 2019 Annual Report, co-published by the Fraser Institute, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty and the International Research Foundation. This report compares and ranks 22 Arab nations in five areas of economic freedom: size of government, including expenditures, taxes and enterprises; commercial and economic law and security of property rights; access to sound money; freedom to trade internationally; and regulation of credit, labour and business.

Read the Full Report

Economic Freedom of North America 2019

— Nov 7, 2019

Economic Freedom of North America 2019 finds that New Hampshire has reclaimed its status as the most economically free state in the U.S., having scored 7.93 out of 10 in this year’s report, which measures government spending, taxation and labour market restrictions. Rounding out the top five freest states are Florida (2^nd), Tennessee (3^rd), Virginia (4^th) and Texas (5^th). For the fifth year in a row, New York was ranked the least free (50^th), followed by West Virginia (49^th), Alaska (48^th), Vermont (47^th) and Oregon (46^th).

Visit our interactive Economic Freedom of North America website

Economic Freedom of the World: 2019 Annual Report

— Sep 12, 2019

Economic Freedom of the World: 2019 Annual Report is the world’s premier measurement of economic freedom, ranking countries based on five areas: size of government, legal structure and security of property rights, access to sound money, freedom to trade internationally, and regulation of credit, labour and business. This year’s report compares 162 countries and territories. In this year’s ranking—Hong Kong is again number one and Canada (8th) trails the United States (5th).

View the Interactive Map, Graphs, and Dataset

Gender Disparity under the Law and Women’s Well-Being

— Aug 15, 2019

Gender Disparity Under the Law and Women’s Well-Being, part of the Fraser Institute’s ongoing research of women’s well-being worldwide, finds that women in countries with no gender disparity under the law are better able to participate in economic activity and experience greater social progress.

Visit our Women and Progress website

Recent Economic Freedom Commentaries and Blog Posts

U.S. election should focus or what works and what doesn’t work

Matthew D. Mitchell

Appeared in the DC Journal, November 4, 2024

When people are permitted more economic freedom, they enjoy higher and faster-growing incomes.

Economic freedom fell for three straight years

Matthew D. Mitchell

Governments financed this new spending by printing money and inflation spiked to levels not seen in decades.

Nighttime light intensity exposes failure of autocratic regimes

Vincent Geloso

Nighttime light is artificial so its level should depict—all else being equal—levels of development.

Bad government policy made Venezuela’s downfall inevitable

Matthew D. Mitchell

Appeared in Inside Sources, August 6, 2024

According to the United Nations, 90 per cent of Venezuelan households are impoverished.

New federal legislation should remind Canadians of Orwell’s 1984

Jake Fuss, Alex Whalen

The government wants to make speech crimes punishable by house arrest, jail time or electronic monitoring.

Canadians right to worry about ‘big government’ agenda

Matthew D. Mitchell, Jake Fuss

When governments limit economic freedom, citizens find it harder to buy and sell what they want.

Industrial Policy in 2024—another term for socialism?

Matthew D. Mitchell, Steven Globerman

Appeared in Inside Sources, June 12, 2024

In a free market, private individuals own the means of production but must take their cues from consumers.

Ottawa’s stifling policies will test optimism of Canadian CEOs

Niels Veldhuis

The success of any economy hinges on its institutions including its laws and regulations.

Oakville teens should learn about communism before promoting it

Matthew D. Mitchell, Steven Globerman

Appeared in the Toronto Sun, May 28, 2024

Seventeen per cent of Canada’s 18- to 34-year-olds believe communism is the ideal economic system.

Central planning from the inside—an interview with a Soviet-era economist

Matthew D. Mitchell

When more resources are controlled by politicians and the bureaucracy, there's more favouritism and discrimination.