Economic Freedom

This year's annual Economic Freedom of North America report, which measures government spending, taxation, labour market restrictions and other economic indicators, spotlights the 10 Canadian provinces, 50 U.S. states and 32 Mexican states.

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.

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.