Taiwan ranked 12th out of 165 jurisdictions globally and first in Asia in this year’s Human Freedom Index with a score of 8. 56, maintaining its position from last year.
The index, compiled through the Cato Institute in Washington and the Frasier Institute in Vancouver, ranked 165 jurisdictions in terms of “personal,” “economic” and “human” freedom in 2021, the most knowledgeable recent year available, the report notes. saying.
Taiwan scored 7. 97 for economic freedom, ranking 11th globally (up from 24th in 2020) and 8. 98 for freedom, ranking 12th and unchanged from 2020.
Photo: Screen grab from the Cato Institute’s Web site
It defines freedom as the absence of coercive limitations.
The criteria for economic freedom include size of government, legal system and property rights, sound money — focused mainly on inflation — freedom to trade internationally and regulation.
The criteria for personal freedom cover the rule of law, security, freedom of movement, religion, expression and information, relationships, as well as association, assemblies and civil society.
Human freedom “has been severely impaired as a result of the coronavirus [COVID-19] pandemic,” the report says, highlighting “a significant decline in the rule of law, freedom of movement, expression, organization and assembly, as well as freedom of trade. “”.
Taiwan’s scores have also declined after steady increases, from 8. 31 (28th) in the index’s first year in 2000 to highs of 8. 81 in 2016, when it was ranked 17th in the world, and in 2019 (14th).
In 2020 and 2021, Taiwan’s score fell to 8. 56, with an economic freedom score below 8 for the first time since the mid-2010s and a personal freedom score below nine for the first time since the early 2000s.
However, only two major points showed really significant declines during those two years in the index: freedom of movement, likely due to pandemic-related restrictions, and media and expression, as explained through Varieties of Democracy, a Swedish think tank.
In the other categories, Taiwan’s scores remained largely unchanged.
Switzerland holds the top position for the fourth year in a row, followed by New Zealand, Denmark, Ireland, Estonia and Sweden (tied for fifth), Iceland, Luxembourg, Finland and Norway.
Japan is the second Asian country in 16th place, followed by South Korea (28th), Armenia (33rd) and Singapore (44th).
China was 149th and the lowest-ranked jurisdiction was Syria.