Hong Kong #1 in Economic Freedom Ranking, U.S. Ranks Poorly

People living in countries with high levels of economic freedom not only enjoy greater prosperity but live longer. The Economic Freedom of the World: 2014 Annual Report shows people living in countries with high levels of economic freedom enjoy greater prosperity, more political and civil liberties, and longer life spans. The list ranked the United States as the 12th freest economy. 'The stunning drop in the U.S. level of economic freedom since 2000 is bad news for Americans and the world given the strong links between economic freedom and living standards, and the strong global role of the U.S. economy', said Ian Vasquez, Director of the Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity at the Cato Institute. Hong Kong topped the list amid pro-democracy protests.