UAE scores 7.42 in Fraser Institute economic freedom index
The country ranked second regionally behind Bahrain and 30th globally for legal systems and property rights.
The UAE scored 7.42 out of 10 in the Fraser Institute's Economic Freedom of the World report, placing second in the region. Bahrain topped the regional ranking with a score of 7.49, while Jordan scored 7.38 and Saudi Arabia 7.17. Qatar ranked fifth regionally with 6.97. The report, published in October 2026, draws on 2024 data compiled across 165 countries.
Legal systems and property rights#
The UAE scored 7.08 for legal systems and property rights, ranking 30th globally in that category. The country recorded 8.62 for freedom to trade internationally, placing 33rd worldwide. In the regulation category, the UAE scored 7.23 and ranked 29th globally. For sound money, the country achieved a score of 8.47, securing 76th place.
Global rankings and methodology#
Hong Kong ranked first globally in economic freedom, followed by Switzerland, Singapore, New Zealand and the United States. The United Kingdom placed 10th, Japan 13th, Canada 18th and Germany 19th. France ranked 39th, Italy 47th, Korea 53rd, Indonesia 72nd, Mexico 77th, India 88th, Brazil 85th, China 110th and Russia 143rd. The ten lowest-ranked countries were Congo, Egypt, Malawi, Algeria, Iran, Myanmar, Libya, Sudan, Zimbabwe and Venezuela.
Index components and coverage#
The Fraser Institute measures economic freedom across five areas: openness to trade, tax and regulatory burdens, property rights protection, government spending levels and monetary soundness. The institute defines the index as measuring how freely individuals can choose what to purchase, where to seek employment and whether to launch a business. The 2026 edition uses 2024 figures, the most recent year for which complete data could be assembled for all 165 jurisdictions in the study.
Recovery from pandemic levels#
Global economic freedom is beginning to recover after the pandemic, but remains below its pre-pandemic level, and the recovery has been uneven. Matthew Mitchell, senior fellow at the Fraser Institute and a coauthor of the report, stated that economic freedom declined during the pandemic as governments introduced additional regulations, erected trade barriers, expanded public spending and taxation, and subsequently increased money supply to finance that expenditure.
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- economymiddleeast.comEconomy Middle EastUAE scored 7.42 in Fraser Institute Economic Freedom of the World report, ranking second regionally behind Bahrain's 7.49
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