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Hong Kong · Economy

Hong Kong again ranked world's freest economy in Fraser Institute 2026 report

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The Fraser Institute's Economic Freedom of the World 2026 report, released Oct 6, again ranks Hong Kong as the world's freest economy — first in freedom to trade internationally, second in regulation. A government spokesman welcomed the result.

Why it matters

The ranking, published by a Canadian think tank, is closely watched as a barometer of economic freedom worldwide. Hong Kong has topped it for more than two decades, and the government says the result reaffirms the city's free-market strengths at a time of rising trade protectionism.

Full report

The Fraser Institute's Economic Freedom of the World 2026 Annual Report, released Oct 6, has once again ranked Hong Kong as the world's freest economy. Among the report's five areas of assessment, the city maintained its top position in "Freedom to trade internationally" and secured second place in "Regulation." The 2026 report is based on 2024 data, the latest year available across 165 jurisdictions.

The top five were Hong Kong, Switzerland, Singapore, New Zealand and the United States. Other major economies included the United Kingdom (10th), Japan (13th), Canada (18th), Germany (19th), France (39th), China (110th) and Russia (143rd). The report also found that global economic freedom is beginning to recover after the pandemic but remains below its pre-pandemic level, erasing roughly a decade of progress.

A Hong Kong government spokesman said the report reaffirmed the city's strengths as a free-market economy with an open, efficient and fair business environment. "Amid growing economic uncertainties and rising trade protectionism, Hong Kong remains firmly committed to maintaining its free port status, zero-tariff policy and simple, low tax regime," the spokesman said, adding that under "one country, two systems" Hong Kong serves as a super connector between the mainland and the world, with common law practised in Chinese and English and a clean, professional civil service.

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