Canada fails to make global top 10 in Human Freedom Index
A Human Freedom Index has ranked nations by how much they allow their citizens to make their own personal and economic choices, with Canada failing to crack the top 10.
A Human Freedom Index compiled by several independent think tanks has ranked nations by how much they allow their citizens to make their own personal and economic choices, with Canada failing to crack the top 10.
The Fraser Institute and the U.S.-based Cato Institute published their 11th annual Human Freedom Index on Tuesday.
The study used 87 indicators grouped into twelve areas, including “the rule of law, safety and security, identity and relationships, freedom of movement, speech, assembly, religion, freedom from taxes, regulations, and freedom to trade internationally.”
Of the 165 jurisdictions evaluated in the study, Canada ranked 12th, trailing Iceland, Australia, the Netherlands, Czechia, Finland, Estonia, Luxembourg, Ireland, New Zealand and Denmark.
Switzerland ranked first as the freest country in the world.
Meanwhile, falling behind Canada were countries such as Sweden, Taiwan and the United States.
Yemen, Iran, and Syria were ranked as the worst three countries for freedom.
“Governments around the world have recently been restricting freedom of expression, freedom of association and assembly, freedom of movement, and the freedom to use sound money, and the impact is alarming,” said Matthew D. Mitchell, Fraser Institute senior fellow and co-author of this year’s report.
Between 2019 and 2023, 89.6 per cent of the world’s population experienced a decline in freedom, regardless of the country’s level of wealth or democratic status.
According to the study, “significant inequality” in human freedom was also found on a global scale, with 76 per cent of the world’s population living in the bottom half of countries in the index.
Additionally, the gap between the top and the bottom of the index has been widening in recent years.
However, there is plenty of evidence that the freer a country was, the wealthier, healthier and more satisfied people were in their lives.
Countries that ranked higher on the index also exhibited “more tolerance, less corruption, greater generosity, more patents, more scientific publications, cleaner environments, less poverty, longer life, and lower infant mortality.”
“Many contend that freedom is valuable as an end to itself. But it also makes life better,” Mitchell said.
Thanks lieberal voters.