17-03-2025
Iraq excluded from Economic Freedom Index due to 'inadequate' transparency
Shafaq News/ On Monday, Iraq was excluded for the second consecutive year from the 2025 Index of Economic Freedom, published by the US-based conservative think tank Heritage Foundation.
According to the annual report—which evaluated economic conditions in 184 countries from July 2023 to June 2024—Iraq was one of eight countries not ranked globally because of 'inadequate transparency and incomplete economic data,' alongside Afghanistan, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, Liechtenstein, and Ukraine.
Economist Mohammed Al-Hassani attributed Iraq's exclusion mainly to a 'lack of government transparency and incomplete data in critical areas, notably fiscal health, labor freedom, government spending, monetary freedom, and property rights.'
Globally, Singapore ranked first on the 2025 Economic Freedom Index with 84.1 points, followed by Switzerland (83.7), Ireland (83.1), Taiwan (79.7), and New Zealand (78.9).
In the Arab world, the UAE led with 71.6 points, followed by Qatar (70.2), Bahrain (65.6), Oman (65.4), and Saudi Arabia (64.4).
The annual index assesses economic openness of countries based on twelve indicators grouped under four categories: rule of law, government size, regulatory efficiency, and market openness. Scores range from zero to 100, categorizing economies from "free" to "economically repressed."
