USA 10th For Global Economic Freedom In 2013

Tyler Durden's picture

When institutions protect the liberty of individuals, greater prosperity results for all. Economist Adam Smith formed this theory in his influential work, The Wealth of Nations, in 1776. In 2013, his theory is measured by the Index of Economic Freedom. The world average score of 59.6 was only one-tenth of a point above the 2012 average. Since reaching a global peak in 2008, the WSJ and Heritage note, economic freedom has continued to stagnate


From North Korea (the least 'free') to Hong Kong (the most 'free') the following heatmaps break down the 177 countries covered across 10 specific categories: property rights, freedom from corruption, fiscal freedom, government spending, business freedom, labor freedom, monetary freedom, trade freedom, investment freedom, and financial freedom. On the plus side, average government spending scores improved. Unfortunately, this was matched by a decline in regulatory efficiency, as a number of countries hiked minimum wages and tightened control of labor markets. The world’s most-improved country is Georgia, and the country that saw the biggest decline was Belize (we blame McAfee).


Overall Score:




See Full List of Country Rankings


The United States, with an economic freedom score of 76, registered a loss of economic freedom for the fifth consecutive year, and its lowest score since 2000. Its score is 0.3 point lower than last year, with declines in monetary freedom, business freedom, labor freedom, and fiscal freedom.

United States by xxyyxxyy123123

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francis_sawyer's picture

FREE = SERF on my secret decoder ring that I got when I sent in my Bazooka Joe wrappers...

bobthehorse's picture

If you were to combine the GDPs of all the top nine regions, they wouldn't even account for half of the American GDP.

Rough times.

I agree.

But we'll eventually get our shit straight.

ACP's picture

Um, they might want to add in "under the table" business that runs rampant with little or no penalty in a lot of those countries, then redo the maps.

I guarantee the US won't look quite as good.

Supernova Born's picture

So, do they hate us less now?

When we have no economic freedom we will be adored.

I look forward to the day.



Now, it is time to find out if anyone in the USA measures up to those brave souls.

It is time for another Tea Party. a fucking real one. 

Grow some nuts, bitchez. 

francis_sawyer's picture

If my memory serves me properly... The word "despotism" is written on that hemp...


So when I look around & see peeps with EBT cards they can get cash for at strip clubs & liquor stores, Obamaphones, & dick-for-brains cheering for a '1500' handle on the S&P... I can't see much TEA PARTY 'despotism' around...

Besides ~ Obama just appointed a new Treasury Secretary [who will undoubtedly have the interests of MANY on his agenda & whose name is much shorter to spell than Rubin, Summers, Paulson, or Geithner]... Just think of the 'INK' savings that will represent in the near future when it's printed on the currency du jour... Salvation is just around the corner...

UnpatrioticHoarder's picture

I wonder whether free hospital care counts for or against Australia in these rankings. State-run hospitals can work.

Big Slick's picture

Meet me in Mauritus! (#8)  (???)

The Juggernaut's picture

I wonder what the freedom of the Rothschilds banking web would look like... probs all red.

AldousHuxley's picture

USA #1 in talking about freedom
#1 in freedom for illegal aliens
#1 in freedom for rich socialists to enforce capitalist hunger games for the. Rest
#1 in freedom for banksters like Corrine
#1 in freedom for dogs

Hobbleknee's picture

# 1 in freedom to be droned.

Popo's picture

Given that Americans and Japanese are the only nations in the world to tax permanent expats on foreign earned income, I'm honestly not sure how America is even anywhere in the top half.   You can live abroad for 20 years, never setting foot in the USA and still owe taxes every year.

Furthermore, US citizens permanently living abroad are subject to FACTA which requires them to disclose all foreign bank account holdings to the US government and (unbelievably) all foreign banks on foreign soil comply with this, actually reporting you to the US government.    

And given that US citizens who *relinquish* their nationality are still liable for taxes for years AFTER they give up their nationality, and foreign banks can dock accounts and will remit taxes to the US government with or without your consent -- I actually don't understand this study at all.

The United States literally treats its subjects as property.  You are all serfs, no matter where you go or where you live.  You will always be owned by your master.  

Anyone thinking gold confiscation won't happen really doesn't understand how expats are already treated.  Americans are the owned "property" of their government.  

Financial freedom? Seriously, whoever did this study has absolutely no idea what they're talking about.   

markmotive's picture

Freedom? Doesn't really exist anywhere...

Introducing the 9-step process bankers use to force global slavery upon humanity

Ayn NY's picture

They do this even after you give up citizenship? Are there any countries that don't comply? I knew that Bush signed an exit tax and I knew that they tax you abroad while you're a citizen, but I thought this ended once you renounced.

machineh's picture

The general pattern is that rich countries comply with FATCA. Much of the Third World doesn't, since it is not a magnet for offshore capital anyway.

Slightly Insane's picture


I'm agreeing with you.  How can the expat rules not put the usa further down the list?

TruthHunter's picture

 "Seriously, whoever did this study has absolutely no idea what they're talking about. "


Oh yes they did. Apparently you aren't part of the 1%, though.

Ayn NY's picture

I think France is #1 for dog freedom. You can bring your pooch into a fine dining establishment and that's every American dog's dream.

Bazza McKenzie's picture

Just to be clear, Australia has a mix of public and private health care, with most middle class Australians having health insurance (paid for by themselves) which allows them to access private hospitals, and to be attended by doctors working in the private sector (though many private sector doctors also do sessions in public hospitals).  There are a lot of competing health insurers and, since it is their own money, people do shop around.

Visits to the doctor are mainly covered by government Medicare, though in some cases a co-payment is necessary.

The public hospitals are run by the state governments, though the national government increasingly shoehorns itself in to tell the states what to do, adding bureaucracy and cost but no value.

Tijuana Donkey Show's picture

 adding bureaucracy and cost but no value = GOVT

edb5s's picture

Beat me to it...what a perfect description of government.

UnpatrioticHoarder's picture

Hmmmm Australia's ranking is largely because Australia does government very professionally, reasonably and pretty cheaply. Too much to explain here, but I can start by pointing to the United States' plethora of self-perpetuating alphabet soup agencies.

trav777's picture

you people just don't know how socialism works in all-white countries.  It actually DOES work and in many cases very well.

The swedes actually pay their UN parking tickets and don't abuse their positions in government.  They actually don't steal from the public.

the problem comes when they assume everybody is like they are, and if not, then those people are just lacking "empowerment" or "education" or one of the other magic potions that will turn people who are not like them into like them.

candyman's picture

Are dark pools and off balance sheet items counted?

MassDecep's picture

I love how the US is voted "up there" in "Freedom from Corruption"  How far from the truth is that?

BobPaulson's picture

That was my double take. In this case the must not consider  ank control of government as corrupt since technically, tricks like TARP or robbing your muppet clients are legal.

sessinpo's picture

That is impossible to know. Much corruption is unknown. It's bad question because the very nature of it means you are asking:


What is the comparison of one unknown to another unknown?


That fallacy is that one looks at crime data and assumes it is a broad accurate sampling of a given region which is false.

Banksters's picture

Jon Corizine here,   FREEDOM ROCKS!

Shizzmoney's picture

The US was 10th? It was THAT high?

Anusocracy's picture

They didn't include freedom from regulation.

buzzsaw99's picture

heritage is full of beans

sessinpo's picture

And buzzsaw99 is the excrement that comes out after you eat the beans

nmewn's picture

You're welcome ;-)


10TH  - is inflated.

So Goldman Sachs can sell off the whole country as an IPO to the Chinks.

While they short the IPO in the back end, fuck all the middle class Chinks out of their retirement, and live happily ever after. 

What goes around, comes around.


francis_sawyer's picture

Nobody "junked" you for typing 'CHINKS' [twice]...


Clever ~ I see what you did there...

[Oops ~ upon later review, my initial observation was 'antidoted' by the Ministry of Truth ~ sorry that I inadvertently was responsible for harshing your buzz]...

CH1's picture

I junked you for writing chinks.

You and sawyer follow the same troll pattern: Say things you think people here want to hear, then add insults and divert the conversation into the topic of hating foreigners. That's evidently the pattern we're supposed to fall for.

You serve Sunstein well.

francis_sawyer's picture

Nope ~ Instead, I say things THAT I FUCKING WANT TO SAY... [See what I did there?... I used the word 'fucking'... It had nothing to do with whether or not I paused & reflected on what CH1 or any other ZH entity might or might not be influenced by... It was my emotion at the moment ~ which I expressed with the the proper adjective to reflect that]...

It's called exercising my individual FREEDOM [which is EXACTLY what this thread is about]... So there were basically no 'diversions' until you showed up... 

Note: Generally ~ when I'm out in public, I don't shout "FUCKING", nor do I use words like "chinks", or "joobux"... So yeah ~ I'm just a pussy who hides behind an ANON avatar on a blog... That should make you feel completely safe [because 'harmful words', whether they have any truth or not are never reaching the delicate ears of women & children....... & puppies, don't forget the puppies]...

trav777's picture

that just makes you a pussy

francis_sawyer's picture

Which I admitted to by saying:


"So yeah ~ I'm just a pussy who hides behind an ANON avatar on a blog"

nobody's perfect

SilverRhino's picture

Freedom from Corruption my ass. The US is green?????

Two fuckin words make that a bald faced lie.

Jon Corzine!!!

Want justice? Hang a bankster.

AldousHuxley's picture

Have you spoken with any foreigner about their government?
Makes George bush to be a saint with all of the dictators, kings, military rulers, etc.

laboratorymike's picture

I know what you mean. I had a Chinese friend lose his apartment over there because the local police chief lived on the same floor, and decided he wanted all the other apartments empty so he could have the floor to himself. Pretty soon my friend and his family had a trumped-up charge that drove them out of their own home.

I know it's bad here, but expropriation by lower officials is a lot more common elsewhere. IMO it's the last few good things we've got going here, but should that go I don't see much other reason to be here: Poor economy, increasingly paranoid government, etc.

tip e. canoe's picture

expropriation by lower officials is a lot more common elsewhere.

maybe not for long my friend.

trav777's picture

when the US is majority brown in 2050 or whatever, this will change.

People who live in certain cities dominated by certain groups already get to experience shit like you describe.

I mean, how many successive Newark or Detroit mayors have gone to prison for corruption?

francis_sawyer's picture

Why bother to go all the way out of state when you have Baltimore & Washington to take pride in?...

AldousHuxley's picture

Have you spoken with any foreigner about their government?

buzzsaw99's picture

George Bush was the dictator's, king's, and miltary ruler's best friend. Just because it is at arm's length don't be fooled into thinking that foreign economic oppression isn't fully supported by the usa ptb.