Singapore led the Index of Economic Freedom in 2024, with an index score of 83.5 out of 100. Switzerland, Ireland, Taiwan, and Luxembourg rounded out the top five. Economic Freedom Index In order to calculate the Economic Freedom Index, the source takes 12 different factors into account, including the rule of law, government size, regulatory efficiency, and open markets. All 12 factors are rated on a scale of zero to 100 and are weighted equally. Every country is rated within the Index in order to provide insight into the health and freedom of the global economy. Singapore's economy Singapore is one of the four so-called Asian Tigers, a term used to describe four countries in Asia that saw a booming economic development from the 1950s to the early 1990. Today, the City-State is known for its many skyscrapers, and its economy continue to boom. It has one of the lowest tax-rates in the Asia-Pacific region, and continues to be open towards foreign direct investment (FDI). Moreover, Singapore has one of the highest trade-to-GDP ratios worldwide, underlining its export-oriented economy. Finally, its geographic location has given it a strategic position as a center connecting other countries in the region with the outside world. However, the economic boom has come at a cost, with the city now ranked among the world's most expensive.

India: Economic freedom, overall index (0-100): The latest value from 2025 is 53 index points, unchanged from 53 index points in 2024. In comparison, the world average is 60 index points, based on data from 174 countries. Historically, the average for India from 1995 to 2025 is 53 index points. The minimum value, 45 index points, was reached in 1995 while the maximum of 57 index points was recorded in 2020.

According to Economic Freedom ranking in 2024, India's score for government integrity stood at ****, a significant decrease from the previous year. This put the country in the repressed range, while the overall score stood at **** in the same year.

According to the Economic Freedom 2024 ranking, India's score for property rights was ****, lower than in recent years. It came under the repressed range, while the overall score for the country stood at **** in the same year.

Index of economic freedom of India remained stable at 52.9 score over the last 1 years. Economic freedom is the fundamental right of every human to control his or her own labor and property. In an economically free society, individuals are free to work, produce, consume, and invest in any way they please, with that freedom both protected by the state and unconstrained by the state. In economically free societies, governments allow labor, capital and goods to move freely, and refrain from coercion or constraint of liberty beyond the extent necessary to protect and maintain liberty itself.

According to the Economic Freedom Index for 2024, India's score for judicial effectiveness was ****, a considerable increase from the previous year. This indicated a mostly unfree effectiveness. The overall score for the country stood at **** in the same year.

India: Labor freedom index (0-100): The latest value from 2025 is 59 points, an increase from 58 points in 2024. In comparison, the world average is 57 points, based on data from 174 countries. Historically, the average for India from 2005 to 2025 is 57 points. The minimum value, 41 points, was reached in 2020 while the maximum of 74 points was recorded in 2012.

India: Trade freedom index (0-100): The latest value from 2025 is 61 points, a decline from 62 points in 2024. In comparison, the world average is 70 points, based on data from 176 countries. Historically, the average for India from 1995 to 2025 is 47 points. The minimum value, 0 points, was reached in 1995 while the maximum of 73 points was recorded in 2017.

In 2023, India's score on the World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders dropped to ****. This placed South Asian democracy among countries where the freedom of the press was threatened and was a matter of concern. The Press Freedom Index score in 2023 was evaluated based on the political, economic, and sociocultural contexts as well as the legal framework and level of safety in a country.

India: Monetary freedom index (0-100): The latest value from 2025 is 69.9 points, an increase from 69.1 points in 2024. In comparison, the world average is 67.60 points, based on data from 174 countries. Historically, the average for India from 1995 to 2025 is 70.2 points. The minimum value, 62.9 points, was reached in 2012 while the maximum of 77.6 points was recorded in 2003.

Following a declining trend that emerged in 2017, India's press freedom rank dropped further to *** out of 180 countries surveyed in the World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders in 2024. With a score of ***** the South Asian democracy was among regions where the freedom of the press was seriously threatened. The Press Freedom Index score in 2024 was evaluated based on the political, economic, and sociocultural contexts as well as the legal framework and level of safety in a country. Perils of pursuing journalism in India  Despite constitutional guarantees such as the freedom of speech and expression, journalists and media organizations in India continue to face challenges in reporting issues crucial to upholding democratic values. In the last two decades, over ** journalists were killed in the country while several others were imprisoned under anti-state charges.  Press freedom in the APAC region The press freedom index varies widely in the Asia-Pacific region, with New Zealand being one of the highest-ranking countries globally. In contrast, the regimes in China and North Korea continue to exercise strict control over the media. Press freedom remains under threat due to censorship, violence against journalists, and government pressure on media outlets not just in the Asia-Pacific region, but around the world.

India: Financial freedom index (0-100): The latest value from 2025 is 40 points, unchanged from 40 points in 2024. In comparison, the world average is 48 points, based on data from 175 countries. Historically, the average for India from 1995 to 2025 is 35 points. The minimum value, 30 points, was reached in 1995 while the maximum of 40 points was recorded in 2009.

India: Fiscal freedom index (0-100): The latest value from 2025 is 6 points, a decline from 7 points in 2024. In comparison, the world average is 63 points, based on data from 174 countries. Historically, the average for India from 1995 to 2025 is 66 points. The minimum value, 4 points, was reached in 2022 while the maximum of 79 points was recorded in 2014.

India: Academic freedom index: The latest value from 2024 is 0.161 index points, a decline from 0.172 index points in 2023. In comparison, the world average is 0.569 index points, based on data from 171 countries. Historically, the average for India from 1960 to 2024 is 0.578 index points. The minimum value, 0.161 index points, was reached in 2024 while the maximum of 0.69 index points was recorded in 1990.

In 2025, Iceland was the worldwide leader in terms of internet freedom. The country ranked first with 94 index points in the Freedom House Index, where each country received a numerical score from 100 (the freest) to 0 (the least free). Estonia ranked second with 91 index points, followed by Chile, with a score of 87 index points. Internet restrictions worldwide The decline of internet freedom in 2022 is mainly linked to political conflicts in different parts of the world. With the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Russian government intensified its attempts to control the online content in the country. The government placed restrictions on three different U.S.-based social media platforms at the same time, X, formerly known as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. These restrictions made it to the top of the longest-lasting limitations on the web in 2022. Social protests rose in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini in September 2022. The Iranian government decided to shut down the internet and various social media platforms in an attempt to minimize the communication between the protesters. In 2022, 11 new internet restrictions were recorded in Iran. However, residents in the Indian region of Jammu and Kashmir saw the highest number of new internet restrictions, which amounted to more than double the ones in Iran. The impact of internet shutdowns In 2022, the economic impact of internet restrictions worldwide reached an estimated 23.79 billion U.S. dollars. Meanwhile, the highest financial losses due to internet shutdowns were caused by limitations in Russia, and more than seven thousand hours of restricted various online services had an economic impact of 21.59 billion U.S. dollars. The restrictions impacted around 113 million people in the country. Myanmar placed the most extended restriction on internet services, lasting 17,520 hours in total. Similar restrictions in India affected over 120 million people. 

India IN: Voice and Accountability: Estimate data was reported at 0.386 NA in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.440 NA for 2016. India IN: Voice and Accountability: Estimate data is updated yearly, averaging 0.433 NA from Dec 1996 (Median) to 2017, with 19 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.477 NA in 1996 and a record low of 0.352 NA in 2000. India IN: Voice and Accountability: Estimate data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s India – Table IN.World Bank.WGI: Country Governance Indicators. Voice and Accountability captures perceptions of the extent to which a country's citizens are able to participate in selecting their government, as well as freedom of expression, freedom of association, and a free media. Estimate gives the country's score on the aggregate indicator, in units of a standard normal distribution, i.e. ranging from approximately -2.5 to 2.5.

India: Business freedom index (0-100): The latest value from 2025 is 72 points, an increase from 68 points in 2024. In comparison, the world average is 63 points, based on data from 174 countries. Historically, the average for India from 1995 to 2025 is 54 points. The minimum value, 36 points, was reached in 2010 while the maximum of 77 points was recorded in 2021.

India: Freedom of expression: The latest value from 2024 is 0.471 index points, an increase from 0.393 index points in 2023. In comparison, the world average is 0.615 index points, based on data from 171 countries. Historically, the average for India from 1960 to 2024 is 0.729 index points. The minimum value, 0.32 index points, was reached in 1976 while the maximum of 0.82 index points was recorded in 1960.

Inde: Economic freedom, overall index (0-100): Pour cet indicateur, The Heritage Foundation fournit des données pour la Inde de 1995 à 2025. La valeur moyenne pour Inde pendant cette période était de 53 index points avec un minimum de 45 index points en 1995 et un maximum de 57 index points en 2020.

Between January 2012 and February 2024, there were 805 government-imposed internet shutdowns across India, resulting in the highest number of internet blocks in the world so far. According to the Freedom House Index ratings of 2019, India was labelled a partially free democracy and scored a mediocre 55 points out of 100 on the freedom of internet parameters. Cost of shutdowns In 2019, India’s forced internet blackouts lasted well over four thousand hours, resulting in an economic loss of over 1.3 billion U.S. dollars, third in the world’s most economically affected countries, after Iraq and Sudan. The report added that India’s internet blackouts tend to be highly targeted and at times they are down to the level of individual blacklisting. Some internet shutdowns are imposed for a few hours in just a few city districts, while others are a blanket restriction of all internet services across larger regions in the country. As such, the report warns that the full economic impact is likely to be much higher than the stated figures. Justifications for internet shutdowns In 2016, the United Nations declared internet access as a basic human right. Despite this, many governments including India seem to be normalizing internet shutdowns. Public safety was the most common government justification to enable internet shutdowns in 2018, followed by national security. Fake news or hate speech, usually called disinformation, was ranked third. However, official justifications for shutdowns rarely seemed to match actual causes, which frequently included political instability and civilian protests.