USA: Investment freedom

The latest value from 2026 is 80 points, an increase from 70 points in 2025. In comparison, the world average is 53 points, based on data from 175 countries. Historically, the average for the USA from 1995 to 2026 is 75 points. The minimum value, 70 points, was reached in 1995 while the maximum of 85 points was recorded in 2018. See the global rankings for that indicator or use the country comparator to compare trends over time.

The Investment Freedom index for the USA from The Heritage Foundation measures the restrictions to investment activity both within the country and across borders. A higher score means fewer restrictions.

Definition: The Investment freedom index evaluates a variety of investment restrictions (burdensome bureaucracy, restrictions on land ownership, expropriation of investments without fair compensation, foreign exchange controls, capital control, security problems, a lack of basic investment infrastructure, etc.). Points are deducted from the ideal score of 100 for each of the restrictions found in a country’s investment regime.