New Release: 2024 Country Atlas

2024 Atlas: Freedom and Prosperity Around the World

Twenty leading economists and government officials from eighteen countries contributed to this comprehensive volume, which serves as a roadmap for navigating the complexities of contemporary governance. 

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The Freedom and Prosperity Indexes

Interactive website

The indexes rank 164 countries around the world according to their levels of freedom and prosperity. Use our award-winning site to explore twenty-eight years of data, compare countries and regions, and examine the sub-indexes and indicators that comprise our indexes.

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Get the latest program developments, reports & research, and events.

Flagship report

2023 annual report

The 2023 Freedom and Prosperity Indexes measure the distribution of freedom and prosperity in 164 countries. The report explores the relationship between the two and identifies global and regional trends over the last twenty-eight years.

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2022 annual report

The Freedom Index and Prosperity Index are two separate indexes that rank one hundred and seventy-four countries around the world according to their levels of freedom and prosperity.

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Reports and issue briefs

Report

Apr 15, 2024

How Bangladesh can achieve its vision of prosperity

By Nina Dannaoui, Joseph Lemoine

Bangladesh is forging ahead with its Vision 2041, aiming to transform into a developed and prosperous country by 2041.

Bangladesh Freedom and Prosperity

Report

Mar 15, 2024

Attracting foreign direct investments

By Jérémie Bertrand, Joseph Lemoine, Dan Negrea, and Caroline Perrin

Foreign direct investment (FDI) is a pivotal objective for countries seeking to bolster their economic development and global competitiveness. By delving into the relationship between freedom and FDI using the Freedom and Prosperity Indexes and examining institutional mechanisms to influence investment, we shed light on the dynamics that determine a country’s attractiveness to foreign investors.

Economy & Business Freedom and Prosperity

Report

Jan 11, 2024

False promises: The authoritarian development models of China and Russia

By Joseph Lemoine, Dan Negrea, Patrick Quirk, Lauren Van Metre

Are authoritarian regimes more successful than free countries in offering prosperity to their people? The answer is decidedly no, yet China and Russia advertise the “benefits” and “promise” of their authoritarian development model. This paper showcases why and how the authoritarian development model is inferior to that of free societies.

China Democratic Transitions

Issue Brief

Sep 19, 2023

Less freedom, weaker states, more conflict: can that cycle be broken?

By Patrick W. Quirk and Owen L. Myers

Why and how advancing freedom (political, economic, and judicial components) is the surest way to advance sustainable stability and associated prosperity.

Democratic Transitions Freedom and Prosperity

The Freedom and Prosperity Equation

The Freedom and Prosperity Equation

Sep 18, 2023

Informality as an anti-measure of prosperity

By Elakiya Ananthakrishnan

Inefficient public institutions and weak rule of law lead citizens to conduct business outside of regulated markets. The resulting informality impact countries’ overall prosperity.

Freedom and Prosperity Political Reform

The Freedom and Prosperity Equation

Sep 18, 2023

Understanding India’s freedoms on the path to prosperity

By Prashant Narang and Parth J. Shah

Comparing India’s performance on the Freedom and Prosperity Indexes with others to identify improvement opportunities for India.

Freedom and Prosperity India

The Freedom and Prosperity Equation

Sep 18, 2023

The freedom and prosperity equation: Government interventions in Nigeria

By Danladi Verheijen

The Nigerian government should prioritize assuring economic and legal freedoms, with a focus on reducing its involvement in the economy and enhancing its role in providing security.

Freedom and Prosperity Nigeria

The Freedom and Prosperity Equation

Sep 18, 2023

Freedom and prosperity in Eastern Europe

By Dan Negrea, Joseph Lemoine, Yomna Gaafar

Eastern European countries that experienced more political, economic, and legal freedoms enjoy greater prosperity today. Conversely, those which progressed less on the path of freedom are also less prosperous.

Democratic Transitions Eastern Europe

The Freedom and Prosperity Equation

Sep 18, 2023

Scaling up the transatlantic partnership from security to prosperity: Economic resilience in Eastern Europe

By Clara Volintiru, Camelia Crişan, and George Ștefan

Achieving long-term prosperity and stability in Eastern and Central Europe requires strategic engagement by Western allies. Economic resilience is crucial and requires three overlapping lines of effort: increasing European integration; transitioning to a new economic model; and engaging all societal actors in the pursuit of sustainable and shared prosperity.

Eastern Europe European Union
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The Freedom and Prosperity Center aims to increase the prosperity of the poor and marginalized in developing countries and to explore the nature of the relationship between freedom and prosperity in both developing and developed nations.

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