I have decided to create one more data visualization using the data published in the latest Human Freedom Index report. Human Freedom Index, by Ian Vásquez and Tanja Porčnik is Co-published by the Cato Institute, the Fraser Institute in Canada, and the Liberales Institut at the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom in Germany.
You can grab a copy of the report from this link
The Human Freedom Index (HFI) claims to be the most comprehensive freedom index so far created for a globally meaningful set of countries. The HFI covers 152 countries for 2012, the most recent year for which sufficient data is available.
On a scale of 0 to 10, where 10 represents more freedom, the nonweighted average rating for 152 countries in 2012 was 6.96.
In terms of Freedom Index and Personal Freedom , Nepal ranks second to India in South Asian region among five reported countries – India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Freedom Index of Nepal is 6.10 while India stands at 6.93, Sri Lanka (6.16), Bangladesh (5.82) and Pakistan (5.41).
Sri Lanka tops the race in Economic Freedom Index followed by India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal. It is interesting to notice that Nepal ranks lowest among five South Asian Nations when it comes to Economic Freedom.
The top 10 jurisdictions in order were Hong Kong, Switzerland, Finland, Denmark, New Zealand, Canada, Australia, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Sweden. The United States is ranked in 20th place. Other countries rank as follows: Germany (12), Chile (18), Japan (28), France (33), Singapore (43), South Africa (70), India (75), Brazil (82), Russia (111), China (132), Nigeria (139), Saudi Arabia (141), Venezuela (144), Zimbabwe (149), and Iran (152).
Out of 17 regions, the highest levels of freedom are in Northern Europe, North America (Canada and the United States), and Western Europe. The lowest levels are in the Middle East and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South Asia. Women’s freedoms, as measured by five relevant indicators in the index, are most protected in Europe and North America and least protected in South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East and North Africa.
Countries in the top quartile of freedom enjoy a significantly higher per capita income ($30,006) than those in other quartiles; the per capita income in the least-free quartile is $2,615. The HFI finds a strong correlation between human freedom and democracy. Hong Kong is an outlier in this regard.
The findings in the HFI suggest that freedom plays an important role in human well-being, and they offer opportunities for further research into the complex ways in which freedom influences, and can be influenced by, political regimes, economic development, and the whole range of indicators of human well-being.
Please excuse me for this poorly embedded document. You can play with it more conveniently from this link.
