Economic Freedom : Morocco outperforms regional neighbors
Morocco has strengthened its position in economic freedom, ranking first in North Africa according to the 2025 edition of the Index of Economic Freedom published by the Heritage Foundation. With a score of 60.3 out of 100, the Kingdom is ranked 86th globally out of 176 countries, placing it in the «moderately free» category.
Morocco has made notable progress, improving its score by 3.5 points compared to the previous edition. This advancement reflects the country's ongoing efforts to enhance its economic environment and attract more investment.
Breakdown of Morocco's Scores by Criterion:
Investment freedom: 75 points
Financial freedom: 75 points
Monetary freedom: 74.4 points
Tax burden: 71.4 points
Business freedom: 68.9 points
Government spending: 67.9 points
Trade freedom: 67.2 points
Morocco Outperforms Regional Neighbors
In North Africa, Morocco stands out as the only country classified as «moderately free», while other nations in the region fall into lower categories:
Mauritania (119th): «Mostly unfree»
Egypt (145th): «Mostly unfree»
Tunisia (149th): «Repressed»
Algeria (160th): «Repressed»
This ranking highlights significant disparities in economic freedom within the region, positioning Morocco as a leader. Expanding to the broader MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region, Morocco ranks 7th, behind Saudi Arabia but ahead of Kuwait.
Global Rankings and Economic Freedom Trends
The top five countries in the 2025 index are: Singapore – 84.1 points, Switzerland – 83.7 points, Ireland – 83.1 points, Taiwan – 79.7 points, and Luxembourg – 79.5 points.
The report reveals that the global economy remains «largely unfree», with an average economic freedom score of 59.7—an increase of just 1.1 points from the previous year. This stagnation underscores ongoing challenges many countries face in fostering freer and more prosperous economies.
Methodology
The Index of Economic Freedom assesses the policies and economic conditions of 184 countries over the period from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024. It evaluates 12 indicators across four main pillars: Rule of Law (property rights, government integrity, judicial effectiveness), Government Size (government spending, tax burden, fiscal health), Regulatory Efficiency (business freedom, labor freedom, monetary freedom) and Open Markets (trade freedom, investment freedom, financial freedom).
Each indicator is scored from 0 to 100, with the final country score being the average of all 12 indicators. Countries are then categorized into five economic freedom groups:
Free: 80–100 points
Mostly free: 70–79.9 points
Moderately free: 60–69.9 points
Mostly unfree: 50–59.9 points
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Powys County Times
29 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
Three-quarters of parents have bought children beauty products in the last year
Three-quarters of parents have bought their children beauty products in the last year, a survey suggests. Parents have spent £111 on average on items such as lip balms (41%), face moisturisers (39%), and cleansers (37%), according to the poll for cashback and rewards site Rakuten. Other popular items bought for children aged eight to 17 included lip gloss or lipstick (32%), body moisturiser (30%), face masks (28%), skin oil (22%), mascara (22%), makeup remover (21%) and foundation (19%). A typical adult spends £148 on beauty products a year, the study found. Of the 75% of parents who bought beauty products, 41% said they did so to boost their child's confidence, while 24% saw it as a way to bond with their children. Fathers were more willing to spend on their children's beauty regimes, buying £144 worth of items per year compared with the average £82 paid for by mothers. Bola Sol, from Rakuten, said: 'With skincare and make-up routines and trends taking over social media, it's no surprise that younger children are asking for more luxurious beauty products. 'All parents want to make their kids happy, but it's also important to balance that with your budget. A great way to do this is by tracking products for when they go on sale, and where possible, bag even more savings by using a cashback provider such as Rakuten to make the purchase through.' OnePoll surveyed 1,000 UK parents with children aged eight to 17 between May 28 and June 15.
Powys County Times
30 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
Sheku Bayoh Inquiry to consider application for recusal of chairman
The Sheku Bayoh Inquiry is set to consider issues around fairness from the chairman, in a procedural hearing, after it emerged he met the grieving family several times. Sheku Bayoh, 31, a father-of-two, died after he was restrained by around six police officers who were called to Hayfield Road in Kirkcaldy, Fife, on May 3, 2015. The Crown Office decided not to take legal action against the police involved following an investigation, but the circumstances are being examined at the inquiry. The procedural hearing on Thursday and Friday was ordered by chairman Lord Bracadale to consider an application for his own recusal. It will take place at Capital House in Edinburgh. It comes after Lord Bracadale revealed he has met with the family of Mr Bayoh on at least five occasions since the inquiry began. The family's lawyer, Aamer Anwar, suggested the procedural hearing alone could 'cost the public purse in excess of £1 million'. The hearing follows an application for recusal of the chairman and an assessor on behalf of the Scottish Police Federation, Pc Craig Walker and Nicole Short. Recusal is the legal process by which a judge or other adjudicator steps aside from participating in a case due to potential bias, conflict of interest, or lack of impartiality. Mr Anwar said on behalf of the family: 'The procedural hearing follows an application for recusal of the chair and an assessor on behalf of the Scottish Police Federation, Pc Craig Walker and Nicole Short. 'The hearing will focus on the fairness of the conduct and procedure adopted by the chair in meeting the families of Sheku Bayoh. 'For the record, it is Lord Bracadale who has ordered this hearing. The inquiry will hear oral submissions from core participants. 'All core participants must publicly state their position as to whether they wish the chair to step down – it will be noted by the family as to what position all the public bodies such as Crown Office and the chief constable will adopt, as they have made a great deal over the years about being fully supportive of the public inquiry. 'The Bayoh family believe the federation and those hanging on to their coat-tails do so at the 11th hour, in a pathetic and desperate attempt to sabotage the inquiry. 'The family have watched so many parties who have literally sat on their hands for over 122 days of evidence, never publicly asking a question at a huge legal cost of £20 million to the public, yet this hearing in terms of police lawyers could cost the public in excess of £1 million.' He said the family are 'not giving up' and that 10 years on from Mr Bayoh's death they will 'once more call-out the dangerous arrogance of a criminal justice system that does not like accountability'.
Japan Times
30 minutes ago
- Japan Times
New securities system enables those with dementia to invest with family's help
The Japan Securities Dealers Association has introduced a new framework for "family support securities accounts" that allows individuals experiencing cognitive decline from dementia or other conditions to continue investing with assistance from family members. Under the system, investors can designate trusted family members as their agents while they are still mentally capable. These designated agents can carry out securities transactions on the investors' behalf, in accordance with preestablished instructions, even after the onset of illness. The JSDA aims to promote the system as a proactive option for investors seeking to plan ahead for potential future health challenges. Typically, when investors lose their decision-making capacity due to dementia or other illnesses, their securities accounts are frozen. The new system is a response to growing demand from investors who wish to continue managing their assets despite such conditions. It also reflects the JSDA's broader aim to address key issues, such as inheritance planning and extending the longevity of retirement funds. "We have developed a solid framework for wider adoption," JSDA Chairman Toshio Morita said. "We will work with member securities companies to ensure that the system is well understood and accepted by as many investors as possible." Before a family support securities account can be opened, the original account holder, their designated agent and the hosting securities company must agree on an investment and management policy while the investor is still in good health. This process is followed by the conclusion of a notarized contract between the investor and the agent. Under the system, investors can manage their own investments as usual until they are diagnosed with dementia or other conditions that impair judgment. After the onset of such conditions, designated family members can act as agents, enabling them to sell assets or purchase stocks and investment trusts on behalf of the investors, excluding high-risk financial products. The current available options for managing assets when investors experience cognitive decline include family trusts under the trust law and statutory guardianship under the Civil Code. Family trusts allow for the management of a broad range of assets, but once a trust contract comes into effect, even healthy investors are no longer allowed to manage investments on their own. Statutory guardianship is intended for use after the onset of symptoms and involves complex procedures, such as filing a petition with the court. Yumiko Nagasawa, a senior official at Foster Forum, an organization that provides recommendations on financial products, praised the family support securities account system. "Given the growing need for asset management that assumes longer lifespans, the family support securities account is a more user-oriented system," she said. Imamura Securities, based in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, plans to begin offering family support securities account services under the JSDA's framework as early as July. As many of its customers have family members living nearby, the company believes it will not be difficult for them to meet the service's key requirement of designating a trusted family member as an agent. Hisano Ohara, head of the brokerage house's internal controls department, said, "While robust safeguards must be in place to prevent the misuse of customer accounts, proper oversight will enable the effective use of customer assets." Securities companies in Japan are exploring various measures to address the aging of their customer base. In July last year, SMBC Nikko Securities established a cross-departmental "working group on supporting elderly customers and upgrading related services" to identify challenges faced at the operational level. The company has already introduced a family trust system and a "contingency agent system," which allows customers to appoint relatives in advance to act as agents for transactions. It now plans to expand its service lineup further. Specifically, SMBC Nikko plans to create a dedicated webpage offering comprehensive information about its services for older customers and their families. The company is also considering implementing a training program for sales staff focused on dementia awareness. Natsuki Kato, head of the customer-oriented business planning office, said, "We aim to provide not only investment advice, but also support tailored to our customers' individual circumstances."
