Denmark has been ranked fourth in the world on the new Human Freedom Index (HFI), which is published by the US-based think-tank Cato Institute and based on figures from 2012.
On a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 representing the most freedom, Denmark scored 8.62, putting it behind Hong Kong (9.04), Switzerland (8.80) and Finland (8.63) on the index (here in English) that ranked 152 countries.
“Out of 17 regions, the highest levels of freedom are in Northern Europe, North America (Canada and the United States) and Western Europe,” Cato Institute wrote. “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.”
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High personal freedom
The index used 76 parameters in 12 key 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; and the regulation of credit, labour and business.
Denmark scored a perfect 10 out of 10 for movement, religion, relationships, and association, and assembly and civil society, and it scored the highest personal freedom in the world with a score of 9.58. But the Danish ranking was hampered by a score of 7.66 for economic freedom.
New Zealand followed Denmark in fifth place with a score of 8.61, while Canada (8.60), Australia (8.55), Ireland (8.54), the UK (8.51) and Sweden (8.50) completed the top ten.
Other notable nations on the index included Norway (11), Germany (13), the US (20), Japan (28), France (33), Singapore (43), South Africa (70), India (75), Brazil (82), Russia (111), China (132), Nigeria (139) and Iran (152).
