The Human Freedom Index

[damnedifIknow]

The index published here presents a broad
measure of human freedom, understood
as the absence of coercive constraint. It
uses 76 distinct indicators of personal and
economic freedom in the following areas:
■
Rule of Law
■
Security and Safety
■
Movement
■
Religion
■
Association, Assembly, and Civil Society
■
Expression
■
Relationships
■
Size of Government
■
Legal System and Property Rights
■
Access to Sound Money
■
Freedom to Trade Internationally
■
Regulation of Credit, Labor, and Business

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.

http://object.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/human-freedom-index-files/human-freedom-index-2015.pdf

[Donald Ian Rankin]

1. If Hong Kong is ranked first, it's a joke.

I'm also not convinced that "size of government" is a good measure of human freedom. And several of the others look distinctly iffy too.

[Coventina]

2. I guess "Freedom to breathe" isn't a criteria. Hong Kong is the most disgusting place I've ever

been.

What passes for "air" there should not be breathed by any living creature.