Economic Freedom of the World, 2012 - sumario executivo

Eu já havia colocado aqui o mapa principal e o link para o estudo, que repito aqui, ambos. Mas faço-os imediatamente seguir do sumário executivo preparado pelos editores, com alguns destaques importantes.
Os EUA, que durante muito tempo estavam em segundo ou terceiro lugar, logo depois de Hong-Kong, recuaram muito, quase atravessando a segunda dezena de países mais livres.
O Chile é o décimo, agora, muito à frente da Alemanha e da França.
Nem preciso mencionar que o Brasil se situa bem atras, no lugar 105, ou seja, 95 países atrás do Chile.
Parece que vamos ter de fazer algum esforço para avançar, certamente não sob os companheiros...
Paulo Roberto de Almeida

Economic Freedom of the World 
http://www.freetheworld.com/2012/EFW2012-complete.pdf

The index published in Economic Freedom of the World measures the degree to which the policies and institutions of countries are supportive of economic freedom. The cornerstones of economic freedom are personal choice, voluntary exchange, freedom to compete, and security of privately owned property. Forty-two variables are used to construct a summary index and to measure the degree of economic freedom in five broad areas:

1 Size of Government;
2 Legal System and Property Rights;
3 Sound Money;
4 Freedom to Trade Internationally;
5 Regulation.

Since our first publication in 1996, numerous studies have used data from Economic Freedom of the World to examine the impact of economic freedom on investment, economic growth, income levels, and poverty rates. Virtually without exception, these studies have found that countries with institutions and policies more consistent with economic freedom have higher investment rates, more rapid economic growth, higher income levels, and more rapid reductions in poverty rates.

In this year’s index, Hong Kong retains the highest rating for economic freedom, 8.90 out of 10. The other top 10 nations are: Singapore, 8.69; New Zealand, 8.36; Switzerland, 8.24; Australia, 7.97; Canada, 7.97; Bahrain, 7.94; Mauritius, 7.90;  Finland, 7.88; and Chile, 7.84.

The rankings (and scores) of other large economies in this year’s index are the United Kingdom, 12th (7.75); the United States, 18th (7.69); Japan, 20th (7.64); Germany, 31st (7.52); France, 47th (7.32); Italy, 83rd (6.77); Mexico, 91st, (6.66); Russia, 95th (6.56); Brazil, 105th (6.37); China, 107th (6.35); and India, 111th (6.26).

The scores of the bottom ten nations in this year’s index are: Venezuela, 4.07; Myanmar, 4.29; Zimbabwe, 4.35; Republic of the Congo, 4.86; Angola, 5.12; Democratic Republic of the Congo, 5.18; Guinea-Bissau, 5.23; Algeria, 5.34; Chad, 5.41; and, tied for 10th worst, Mozambique and Burundi, 5.45.

Nations that are economically free out-perform non-free nations in indicators of well-being

Nations in the top quartile of economic freedom had an average per-capita GDP of $37,691 in 2010, compared to $5,188 for bottom quartile nations in 2010 current international dollars.

In the top quartile, the average income of the poorest 10% was $11,382, compared to $1,209 in the bottom in 2010 current international dollars.

Interestingly, the average income of the poorest 10% in the most economically free nations is more than twice the overall average income in the least free nations.

Life expectancy is 79.5 years in the top quartile compared to 61.6 years in the bottom quartile.

Political and civil liberties are considerably higher in economically free nations than in unfree nations.

Questão final: se mais liberdade é tão melhor para todo mundo, por que mais nações não são livres, ou por que existem tão poucas nações livres no mundo?
Minha explicação seria esta: interesses constituídos de elites dominantes, e estupidez econômica...
As simple as that...
Paulo Roberto de Almeida