The Heritage Foundation just released its 2012 Index of Economic Freedom. The United States is ranked….10.
Top 10 Countries
| world rank | country | overall score | change from previous |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hong Kong | 89.9 | 0.2 |
| 2 | Singapore | 87.5 | 0.3 |
| 3 | Australia | 83.1 | 0.6 |
| 4 | New Zealand | 82.1 | -0.2 |
| 5 | Switzerland | 81.1 | -0.8 |
| 6 | Canada | 79.9 | -0.9 |
| 7 | Chile | 78.3 | 0.9 |
| 8 | Mauritius | 77.0 | 0.8 |
| 9 | Ireland | 76.9 | -1.8 |
| 10 | United States | 76.3 | -1.5 |
For over a decade, The Wall Street Journal and The Heritage Foundation, Washington’s preeminent think tank, have tracked the march of economic freedom around the world with the influential Index of Economic Freedom. Since 1995, the Index has brought Smith’s theories about liberty, prosperity and economic freedom to life by creating 10 benchmarks that gauge the economic success of 184 countries around the world. With its user-friendly format, readers can see how 18th century theories on prosperity and economic freedom are realities in the 21st century.
The Index covers 10 freedoms – from property rights to entrepreneurship – in 184 countries.
So much for the Land of the Free, eh?