ECONOMIC FREEDOM
OF THE WORLD
1998/1999 Interim Report

James Gwartney
Florida State University

Robert Lawson
Capital University

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

About the Participating Institutes

Executive Summary

Introduction

The Summary Ratings

Construction of the Index

The Results

1997 Weighted Summary Index

1997 Unweighted Summary Index

1990 Weighted Summary Index

1990 Unweighted Summary Index

1997 Area Ratings

Area I: Size of Government: Consumption, Transfers, and Subsidies

Area II: Structure of the Economy and Use of Markets

Area III: Monetary Policy and Price Stability

Area IV: Freedom to Use Alternative Currencies

Area V: Legal Structure and Property Rights

Area VI: International Exchange: Freedom to Trade with Foreigners

Area VII: Freedom of Exchange in Capital and Financial Markets

Explanatory Notes and Data Sources

Appendix I: Component and Area Ratings for 1990 and 1997

Appendix II: Area Ratings for 1997 and Summary Ratings by Country for 1990 and 1997

Copyright ©1998 by The Fraser Institute. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

The authors of this book have worked independently and opinions expressed by them are, therefore, their own, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the members or the trustees of The Fraser Institute.

Printed in Canada.

Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data

Gwartney, James D.
     Economic Freedom of the World

     Annual
     ISBN 1482-471X

     1. Economic history--1990- --Periodicals. 2. Economic indicators--Periodicals.
I. Lawson, Robert, 1967- II. Fraser Institute (Vancouver, B.C.)

HB95.G93                     330.9'005 C                    97-302072-5

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