Economy
Visualizing the $94 Trillion World Economy in One Chart
View the expanded version of this infographic to see all countries.
The $94 Trillion World Economy in One Chart
View the expanded version of this infographic.
Just four countries—the U.S., China, Japan, and Germany—make up over half of the world’s economic output by gross domestic product (GDP) in nominal terms. In fact, the GDP of the U.S. alone is greater than the combined GDP of 170 countries.
How do the different economies of the world compare? In this visualization we look at GDP by country in 2021, using data and estimates from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
An Overview of GDP
GDP serves as a broad indicator for a country’s economic output. It measures the total market value of final goods and services produced in a country in a specific timeframe, such as a quarter or year. In addition, GDP also takes into consideration the output of services provided by the government, such as money spent on defense, healthcare, or education.
Generally speaking, when GDP is increasing in a country, it is a sign of greater economic activity that benefits workers and businesses (while the reverse is true for a decline).
The World Economy: Top 50 Countries
Who are the biggest contributors to the global economy? Here is the ranking of the 50 largest countries by GDP in 2021:
Rank | Country | GDP ($T) | % of Global GDP |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 🇺🇸 U.S. | $22.9 | 24.4% |
2 | 🇨🇳 China | $16.9 | 17.9% |
3 | 🇯🇵 Japan | $5.1 | 5.4% |
4 | 🇩🇪 Germany | $4.2 | 4.5% |
5 | 🇬🇧 UK | $3.1 | 3.3% |
6 | 🇮🇳 India | $2.9 | 3.1% |
7 | 🇫🇷 France | $2.9 | 3.1% |
8 | 🇮🇹 Italy | $2.1 | 2.3% |
9 | 🇨🇦 Canada | $2.0 | 2.1% |
10 | 🇰🇷 Korea | $1.8 | 1.9% |
11 | 🇷🇺 Russia | $1.6 | 1.7% |
12 | 🇧🇷 Brazil | $1.6 | 1.7% |
13 | 🇦🇺 Australia | $1.6 | 1.7% |
14 | 🇪🇸 Spain | $1.4 | 1.5% |
15 | 🇲🇽 Mexico | $1.3 | 1.4% |
16 | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | $1.2 | 1.2% |
17 | 🇮🇷 Iran | $1.1 | 1.1% |
18 | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | $1.0 | 1.1% |
19 | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | $0.8 | 0.9% |
20 | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | $0.8 | 0.9% |
21 | 🇹🇷 Turkey | $0.8 | 0.8% |
22 | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | $0.8 | 0.8% |
23 | 🇵🇱 Poland | $0.7 | 0.7% |
24 | 🇸🇪 Sweden | $0.6 | 0.7% |
25 | 🇧🇪 Belgium | $0.6 | 0.6% |
26 | 🇹🇭 Thailand | $0.5 | 0.6% |
27 | 🇮🇪 Ireland | $0.5 | 0.5% |
28 | 🇦🇹 Austria | $0.5 | 0.5% |
29 | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | $0.5 | 0.5% |
30 | 🇮🇱 Israel | $0.5 | 0.5% |
31 | 🇦🇷 Argentina | $0.5 | 0.5% |
32 | 🇳🇴 Norway | $0.4 | 0.5% |
33 | 🇿🇦 South Africa | $0.4 | 0.4% |
34 | 🇦🇪 UAE | $0.4 | 0.4% |
35 | 🇩🇰 Denmark | $0.4 | 0.4% |
36 | 🇪🇬 Egypt | $0.4 | 0.4% |
37 | 🇵🇭 Philippines | $0.4 | 0.4% |
38 | 🇸🇬 Singapore | $0.4 | 0.4% |
39 | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | $0.4 | 0.4% |
40 | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR | $0.4 | 0.4% |
41 | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | $0.4 | 0.4% |
42 | 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | $0.4 | 0.4% |
43 | 🇨🇱 Chile | $0.3 | 0.4% |
44 | 🇨🇴 Colombia | $0.3 | 0.3% |
45 | 🇫🇮 Finland | $0.3 | 0.3% |
46 | 🇷🇴 Romania | $0.3 | 0.3% |
47 | 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | $0.3 | 0.3% |
48 | 🇵🇹 Portugal | $0.3 | 0.3% |
49 | 🇵🇰 Pakistan | $0.3* | 0.3% |
50 | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | $0.2 | 0.3% |
*2020 GDP (latest available) used where IMF estimates for 2021 were unavailable.
At $22.9 trillion, the U.S. GDP accounts for roughly 25% of the global economy, a share that has actually changed significantly over the last 60 years. The finance, insurance, and real estate ($4.7 trillion) industries add the most to the country’s economy, followed by professional and business services ($2.7 trillion) and government ($2.6 trillion).
China’s economy is second in nominal terms, hovering at near $17 trillion in GDP. It remains the largest manufacturer worldwide based on output with extensive production of steel, electronics, and robotics, among others.
The largest economy in Europe is Germany, which exports roughly 20% of the world’s motor vehicles. In 2019, overall trade equaled nearly 90% of the country’s GDP.
The World Economy: 50 Smallest Countries
On the other end of the spectrum are the world’s smallest economies by GDP, primarily developing and island nations.
With a GDP of $70 million, Tuvalu is the smallest economy in the world. Situated between Hawaii and Australia, the largest industry of this volcanic archipelago relies on territorial fishing rights.
In addition, the country earns significant revenue from its “.tv” web domain. Between 2011 and 2019, it earned $5 million annually from companies—including Amazon-owned Twitch to license the Twitch.tv domain name—equivalent to roughly 7% of the country’s GDP.
Countries | Region | GDP (B) |
---|---|---|
🇹🇻 Tuvalu | Oceania | $0.07 |
🇳🇷 Nauru | Oceania | $0.1 |
🇵🇼 Palau | Oceania | $0.2 |
🇰🇮 Kiribati | Oceania | $0.2 |
🇲🇭 Marshall Islands | Oceania | $0.2 |
🇫🇲 Micronesia | Oceania | $0.4 |
🇨🇰 Cook Islands | Oceania | $0.4* |
🇹🇴 Tonga | Oceania | $0.5 |
🇸🇹 São Tomé and Príncipe | Africa | $0.5 |
🇩🇲 Dominica | Caribbean | $0.6 |
🇻🇨 St. Vincent and the Grenadines | Caribbean | $0.8 |
🇼🇸 Samoa | Oceania | $0.8 |
🇰🇳 St. Kitts and Nevis | Caribbean | $1.0 |
🇻🇺 Vanuatu | Oceania | $1.0 |
🇬🇩 Grenada | Caribbean | $1.1 |
🇰🇲 Comoros | Africa | $1.3 |
🇸🇨 Seychelles | Africa | $1.3 |
🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda | Caribbean | $1.4 |
🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau | Africa | $1.6 |
🇸🇧 Solomon Islands | Oceania | $1.7 |
🇹🇱 Timor-Leste | Asia | $1.7 |
🇱🇨 St. Lucia | Caribbean | $1.7 |
🇸🇲 San Marino | Europe | $1.7 |
🇨🇻 Cabo Verde | Africa | $1.9 |
🇧🇿 Belize | Central America | $1.9 |
🇬🇲 Gambia | Africa | $2.0 |
🇪🇷 Eritrea | Africa | $2.3 |
🇱🇸 Lesotho | Africa | $2.5 |
🇧🇹 Bhutan | Asia | $2.5 |
🇨🇫 Central African Republic | Africa | $2.6 |
🇸🇷 Suriname | South America | $2.8 |
🇦🇼 Aruba | Caribbean | $2.9 |
🇧🇮 Burundi | Africa | $3.2 |
🇦🇩 Andorra | Europe | $3.2 |
🇸🇸 South Sudan | Africa | $3.3 |
🇱🇷 Liberia | Africa | $3.4 |
🇩🇯 Djibouti | Africa | $3.7 |
🇸🇱 Sierra Leone | Africa | $4.4 |
🇸🇿 Eswatini | Africa | $4.5 |
🇲🇻 Maldives | Asia | $4.6 |
🇫🇯 Fiji | Oceania | $4.6 |
🇧🇧 Barbados | Caribbean | $4.7 |
🇸🇴 Somalia | Africa | $5.4 |
🇲🇪 Montenegro | Europe | $5.5 |
🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | Europe | $6.8* |
🇬🇾 Guyana | South America | $7.4 |
🇲🇨 Monaco | Europe | $7.4* |
🇹🇯 Tajikistan | Asia | $8.1 |
🇰🇬 Kyrgyz Republic | Asia | $8.2 |
🇹🇬 Togo | Africa | $8.5 |
*2019 GDP (latest available) used where IMF estimates for 2021 were unavailable.
Like Tuvalu, many of the world’s smallest economies are in Oceania, including Nauru, Palau, and Kiribati. Additionally, several countries above rely on the tourism industry for over one-third of their employment.
The Fastest Growing Economies in the World in 2021
With 123% projected GDP growth, Libya’s economy is estimated to have the sharpest rise.
Oil is propelling its growth, with 1.2 million barrels being pumped in the country daily. Along with this, exports and a depressed currency are among the primary factors behind its recovery.
Rank | Country | Region | 2021 Real GDP Growth (Annual % Change) |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 🇱🇾 Libya | Africa | 123.2% |
2 | 🇬🇾 Guyana | South America | 20.4% |
3 | 🇲🇴 Macao | Asia | 20.4% |
4 | 🇲🇻 Maldives | Asia | 18.9% |
5 | 🇮🇪 Ireland | Europe | 13.0% |
6 | 🇦🇼 Aruba | Caribbean | 12.8% |
7 | 🇵🇦 Panama | Central America | 12.0% |
8 | 🇨🇱 Chile | South America | 11.0% |
9 | 🇵🇪 Peru | South America | 10.0% |
10 | 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | Caribbean | 9.5% |
Ireland’s economy, with a projected 13% real GDP growth, is being supported by the largest multinational corporations in the world. Facebook, TikTok, Google, Apple, and Pfizer all have their European headquarters in the country, which has a 12.5% corporate tax rate—or about half the global average. But these rates are set to change soon, as Ireland joined the OECD 15% minimum corporate tax rate agreement which was finalized in October 2021.
Macao’s economy bounced back after COVID-19 restrictions began to lift, but more storm clouds are on the horizon for the Chinese district. The CCP’s anti-corruption campaign and recent arrests could signal a more strained relationship between Mainland China and the world’s largest gambling hub.
Looking Ahead at the World’s GDP
The global GDP figure of $94 trillion may seem massive to us today, but such a total might seem much more modest in the future.
In 1970, the world economy was only about $3 trillion in GDP—or 30 times smaller than it is today. Over the next thirty years, the global economy is expected to more or less double again. By 2050, global GDP could total close to $180 trillion.
Correction: In earlier versions of this graphic, countries such as Vietnam and Pakistan were inadvertently not included in the visualization. They have now been added. In cases where the IMF has no data for 2021 (specifically Pakistan, Syria, Afghanistan, and Lebanon), the latest available data is used.
Markets
Mapped: The State of Economic Freedom in 2023
How free are people to control their own labor, property, and finances? This map reveals the state of economic freedom globally.

Mapped: The State of Economic Freedom in 2023
The concept of economic freedom serves as a vital framework for evaluating the extent to which individuals and businesses have the freedom to make economic decisions. In countries with low economic freedom, governments exert coercion and constraints on liberties, restricting choice for individuals and businesses, which can ultimately hinder prosperity.
The map above uses the annual Index of Economic Freedom from the Heritage Foundation to showcase the level of economic freedom in every country worldwide on a scale of 0-100, looking at factors like property rights, tax burdens, labor freedom, and so on.
The ranking categorizing scores of 80+ as free economies, 70-79.9 as mostly free, 60-69.9 as moderately free, 50-59.9 as mostly unfree, and 0-49.9 as repressed.
Measuring Economic Freedom
This ranking uses four broad categories with three key indicators each, both qualitative and quantitative, to measure economic freedom.
- Rule of law: property rights, judicial effectiveness, government integrity
- Size of government: tax burdens, fiscal health, government spending
- Regulatory efficiency: labor freedom, monetary freedom, business freedom
- Open markets: financial freedom, trade freedom, investment freedom
The 12 indicators are weighted equally and scored from 0-100. The overall score is then determined from the average of the 12 indicators.
Here’s a closer look at every country’s score:
Rank | Country | 2023 Score |
---|---|---|
#1 | 🇸🇬 Singapore | 83.9 |
#2 | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 83.8 |
#3 | 🇮🇪 Ireland | 82.0 |
#4 | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | 80.7 |
#5 | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | 78.9 |
#6 | 🇪🇪 Estonia | 78.6 |
#7 | 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 78.4 |
#8 | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 78.0 |
#9 | 🇩🇰 Denmark | 77.6 |
#10 | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 77.5 |
#11 | 🇫🇮 Finland | 77.1 |
#12 | 🇳🇴 Norway | 76.9 |
#13 | 🇦🇺 Australia | 74.8 |
#14 | 🇩🇪 Germany | 73.7 |
#15 | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 73.7 |
#16 | 🇨🇦 Canada | 73.7 |
#17 | 🇱🇻 Latvia | 72.8 |
#18 | 🇨🇾 Cyprus | 72.3 |
#19 | 🇮🇸 Iceland | 72.2 |
#20 | 🇱🇹 Lithuania | 72.2 |
#21 | 🇨🇿 Czechia | 71.9 |
#22 | 🇨🇱 Chile | 71.1 |
#23 | 🇦🇹 Austria | 71.1 |
#24 | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | 70.9 |
#25 | 🇺🇸 United States | 70.6 |
#26 | 🇲🇺 Mauritius | 70.6 |
#27 | 🇺🇾 Uruguay | 70.2 |
#28 | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 69.9 |
#29 | 🇧🇧 Barbados | 69.8 |
#30 | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 69.5 |
#31 | 🇯🇵 Japan | 69.3 |
#32 | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 69.3 |
#33 | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | 69.0 |
#34 | 🇮🇱 Israel | 68.9 |
#35 | 🇬🇪 Georgia | 68.7 |
#36 | 🇶🇦 Qatar | 68.6 |
#37 | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | 68.5 |
#38 | 🇼🇸 Samoa | 68.3 |
#39 | 🇯🇲 Jamaica | 68.1 |
#40 | 🇵🇱 Poland | 67.7 |
#41 | 🇲🇹 Malta | 67.5 |
#42 | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | 67.3 |
#43 | 🇧🇪 Belgium | 67.1 |
#44 | 🇵🇪 Peru | 66.5 |
#45 | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | 66.5 |
#46 | 🇭🇷 Croatia | 66.4 |
#47 | 🇨🇻 Cabo Verde | 65.8 |
#48 | 🇧🇳 Brunei Darussalam | 65.7 |
#49 | 🇦🇱 Albania | 65.3 |
#50 | 🇦🇲 Armenia | 65.1 |
#51 | 🇪🇸 Spain | 65.0 |
#52 | 🇧🇼 Botswana | 64.9 |
#53 | 🇷🇴 Romania | 64.5 |
#54 | 🇭🇺 Hungary | 64.1 |
#55 | 🇵🇦 Panama | 63.8 |
#56 | 🇲🇰 North Macedonia | 63.7 |
#57 | 🇫🇷 France | 63.6 |
#58 | 🇷🇸 Serbia | 63.5 |
#59 | 🇻🇨 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 63.5 |
#60 | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | 63.5 |
#61 | 🇲🇽 Mexico | 63.2 |
#62 | 🇨🇴 Colombia | 63.1 |
#63 | 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina | 62.9 |
#64 | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | 62.7 |
#65 | 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | 62.6 |
#66 | 🇧🇸 The Bahamas | 62.6 |
#67 | 🇫🇲 Micronesia | 62.6 |
#68 | 🇧🇭 Bahrain | 62.5 |
#69 | 🇮🇹 Italy | 62.3 |
#70 | 🇻🇺 Vanuatu | 62.1 |
#71 | 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | 62.1 |
#72 | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | 61.8 |
#73 | 🇲🇳 Mongolia | 61.7 |
#74 | 🇸🇹 São Tomé and Príncipe | 61.5 |
#75 | 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan | 61.4 |
#76 | 🇵🇾 Paraguay | 61.0 |
#77 | 🇲🇪 Montenegro | 60.9 |
#78 | 🇽🇰 Kosovo | 60.7 |
#79 | 🇱🇨 Saint Lucia | 60.7 |
#80 | 🇹🇭 Thailand | 60.6 |
#81 | 🇨🇮 Côte d'Ivoire | 60.4 |
#82 | 🇹🇴 Tonga | 60.0 |
#83 | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | 60.0 |
#84 | 🇧🇯 Benin | 59.8 |
#85 | 🇧🇿 Belize | 59.8 |
#86 | 🇩🇲 Dominica | 59.7 |
#87 | 🇸🇨 Seychelles | 59.5 |
#88 | 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago | 59.5 |
#89 | 🇵🇭 Philippines | 59.3 |
#90 | 🇧🇹 Bhutan | 59.0 |
#91 | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | 58.9 |
#92 | 🇰🇮 Kiribati | 58.8 |
#93 | 🇯🇴 Jordan | 58.8 |
#94 | 🇭🇳 Honduras | 58.7 |
#95 | 🇴🇲 Oman | 58.5 |
#96 | 🇲🇩 Moldova | 58.5 |
#97 | 🇲🇦 Morocco | 58.4 |
#98 | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 58.3 |
#99 | 🇬🇭 Ghana | 58.0 |
#100 | 🇫🇯 Fiji | 58.0 |
#101 | 🇬🇲 The Gambia | 57.9 |
#102 | 🇳🇦 Namibia | 57.7 |
#103 | 🇸🇳 Senegal | 57.7 |
#104 | 🇹🇷 Türkiye | 56.9 |
#105 | 🇬🇾 Guyana | 56.9 |
#106 | 🇬🇷 Greece | 56.9 |
#107 | 🇸🇧 Solomon Islands | 56.9 |
#108 | 🇰🇼 Kuwait | 56.7 |
#109 | 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | 56.5 |
#110 | 🇰🇭 Cambodia | 56.5 |
#111 | 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso | 56.2 |
#112 | 🇬🇦 Gabon | 56.1 |
#113 | 🇩🇯 Djibouti | 56.1 |
#114 | 🇸🇻 El Salvador | 56.0 |
#115 | 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan | 55.8 |
#116 | 🇿🇦 South Africa | 55.7 |
#117 | 🇲🇷 Mauritania | 55.3 |
#118 | 🇹🇬 Togo | 55.3 |
#119 | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | 55.0 |
#120 | 🇸🇿 Eswatini | 54.9 |
#121 | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | 54.9 |
#122 | 🇲🇱 Mali | 54.5 |
#123 | 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | 54.4 |
#124 | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | 53.9 |
#125 | 🇷🇺 Russia | 53.8 |
#126 | 🇳🇪 Niger | 53.7 |
#127 | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 53.5 |
#128 | 🇰🇲 Comoros | 53.5 |
#129 | 🇬🇳 Guinea | 53.2 |
#130 | 🇦🇴 Angola | 53.0 |
#131 | 🇮🇳 India | 52.9 |
#132 | 🇹🇳 Tunisia | 52.9 |
#133 | 🇲🇼 Malawi | 52.8 |
#134 | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | 52.5 |
#135 | 🇰🇪 Kenya | 52.5 |
#136 | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | 52.2 |
#137 | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | 52.2 |
#138 | 🇹🇩 Chad | 52.0 |
#139 | 🇨🇲 Cameroon | 51.9 |
#140 | 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea | 51.7 |
#141 | 🇱🇸 Lesotho | 51.6 |
#142 | 🇳🇵 Nepal | 51.4 |
#143 | 🇺🇬 Uganda | 51.4 |
#144 | 🇦🇷 Argentina | 51.0 |
#145 | 🇧🇾 Belarus | 51.0 |
#146 | 🇹🇯 Tajikistan | 50.6 |
#147 | 🇱🇦 Laos | 50.3 |
#148 | 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone | 50.2 |
#149 | 🇭🇹 Haiti | 49.9 |
#150 | 🇱🇷 Liberia | 49.6 |
#151 | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 49.6 |
#152 | 🇵🇰 Pakistan | 49.4 |
#153 | 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea | 48.3 |
#154 | 🇨🇳 China | 48.3 |
#155 | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | 48.3 |
#156 | 🇨🇬 Congo | 48.1 |
#157 | 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo | 47.9 |
#158 | 🇿🇲 Zambia | 47.8 |
#159 | 🇹🇱 Timor-Leste | 47.2 |
#160 | 🇲🇻 Maldives | 46.6 |
#161 | 🇹🇲 Turkmenistan | 46.5 |
#162 | 🇲🇲 Myanmar | 46.5 |
#163 | 🇸🇷 Suriname | 46.1 |
#164 | 🇱🇧 Lebanon | 45.6 |
#165 | 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau | 44.6 |
#166 | 🇨🇫 Central African Republic | 43.8 |
#167 | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | 43.4 |
#168 | 🇩🇿 Algeria | 43.2 |
#169 | 🇮🇷 Iran | 42.2 |
#170 | 🇧🇮 Burundi | 41.9 |
#171 | 🇪🇷 Eritrea | 39.5 |
#172 | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | 39.0 |
#173 | 🇸🇩 Sudan | 32.8 |
#174 | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | 25.8 |
#175 | 🇨🇺 Cuba | 24.3 |
#176 | 🇰🇵 North Korea | 2.9 |
- | 🇮🇶 Iraq | N/A |
- | 🇱🇾 Libya | N/A |
- | 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | N/A |
- | Afghanistan | N/A |
Only four countries in the world have a score of 80 or above, Ireland, Singapore, Switzerland, and Taiwan, categorizing them as completely free economically.
Let’s now look at things from a more regional perspective.
Europe
From a regional perspective, Europe ranks the strongest in economic freedom.
Despite being a powerhouse within Europe, Germany ranks 10th in the continent, with a score of 73.7. One of the categories Germany scored the weakest in was government spending (28.3/100). Over the last three years, government spending has averaged 49% of GDP.
Ireland ranks third globally, scoring particularly high in categories like property rights and judicial effectiveness. The country also has no minimum capital requirement—which is typically a banking regulation and corporate law issue determining how many assets an organization must hold—making it attractive for businesses to set up shop on the Emerald Isle.
Africa
Currently, Africa is the continent with the least economic freedom in the world, however, it is also the region with the highest potential for economic growth. A booming population, and thus, labor force, are promising for future innovation. In fact, it’s anticipated that Africa will see an increase of 2.5 billion people by the end of the century.
The lowest scoring country in Africa is Sudan, a country under further strain thanks to rife civil conflict. Historically, economic development has been constrained by rampant corruption and a lack of institutional capacity.
Conversely, Botswana registered the highest score on continental Africa (64.9), ranking higher than countries like France and Italy.
The Americas
In the Americas, the United States ranks 3rd regionally—25th overall—with a score of 70.6. The report attributes the categorization of U.S. as only “mostly free” to issues like inflation, increasing government debt, and unchecked deficit spending. Public debt currently sits at a figure equivalent to more than 128% of GDP.
In South America, Chile comes out on top, ranking above many other economic powerhouses like the U.S., the UK, and Japan. However, the 2021 election of a new Constitutional Assembly could risk the current economic state, as it favors a much more socialist approach to the economy.
East Asia and Oceania
China’s score is among the lowest in East Asia & Oceania, ranking 154th in the world categorizing it as a repressed economy. The ruling Chinese Communist Party routinely exercises direct control over economic activity. China’s protectionist stance towards foreign investment and a plethora of trade tariffs imposed by other nations also factor in here.
In India, where public debt is equivalent to about 84% of GDP, fiscal health is the worst-scoring category. Additionally, much of the economy remains quite informal; a large share of people work in jobs without tax slips, recorded income, or formal contracts protecting them, which challenges labor freedoms.
The Middle East and Central Asia
It may come as no surprise that the United Arab Emirates has the highest score in the Middle East. The UAE has implemented various measures and initiatives, such as tax exemptions, duty-free zones, streamlined business registration processes, and flexible regulatory frameworks to encourage entrepreneurship and foreign direct investment. As well, the top individual and corporate tax rates in the country are 0%.
Türkiye’s lowest scoring category relates to judiciary effectiveness and the rule of law. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has already been in power for two decades, recently won the country’s election, again cementing his authority over Turkish politics. This makes it unlikely that Türkiye’s economic freedom score will recover in the short to medium term.
Where Does This Data Come From?
Source: The Index of Economic Freedom from the Heritage Foundation
Data notes: A number of countries were not ranked due to unavailable data or other factors, like ongoing war, that made it difficult to properly assess the economy. These countries include: Ukraine, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Liechtenstein, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen.
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