Labor freedom - Country rankings

* indicates monthly or quarterly data series

Labor freedom index (0-100), 2022 - Country rankings:

The average for 2022 based on 175 countries was 56 points.The highest value was in Micronesia: 82 points and the lowest value was in North Korea: 5 points. The indicator is available from 2005 to 2022. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Measure: points; Source: The Heritage Foundation
Select indicator
* indicates monthly or quarterly data series


Countries Labor freedom, 2022 Global rank Available data
Micronesia 82 1 2009 - 2022
Austria 78 2 2005 - 2022
Singapore 77 3 2005 - 2022
USA 76 4 2005 - 2022
Brunei 75 5 2014 - 2022
Nigeria 74 6 2005 - 2022
Samoa 72 7 2009 - 2022
New Zealand 71 8 2005 - 2022
South Africa 71 9 2005 - 2022
Italy 70 10 2005 - 2022
Mauritius 70 11 2005 - 2022
Bahamas 69 12 2005 - 2022
Canada 69 13 2005 - 2022
Norway 69 14 2005 - 2022
Taiwan 69 15 2005 - 2022
Mongolia 68 16 2005 - 2022
Guyana 67 17 2005 - 2022
Iceland 67 18 2005 - 2022
Japan 67 19 2005 - 2022
Cyprus 66 20 2005 - 2022
Fiji 66 21 2005 - 2022
Finland 65 22 2005 - 2022
Jamaica 65 23 2005 - 2022
Kiribati 65 24 2009 - 2022
Papua N.G. 65 25 2009 - 2022
Sweden 65 26 2005 - 2022
UA Emirates 65 27 2005 - 2022
Australia 64 28 2005 - 2022
Bulgaria 64 29 2005 - 2022
Denmark 64 30 2005 - 2022
Romania 64 31 2005 - 2022
Suriname 64 32 2005 - 2022
Barbados 63 33 2005 - 2022
Kazakhstan 63 34 2005 - 2022
Namibia 63 35 2005 - 2022
Serbia 63 36 2009 - 2022
Slovenia 63 37 2005 - 2022
Botswana 62 38 2005 - 2022
Burkina Faso 62 39 2005 - 2022
Georgia 62 40 2005 - 2022
Latvia 62 41 2005 - 2022
Malta 62 42 2005 - 2022
Montenegro 62 43 2009 - 2022
Panama 62 44 2005 - 2022
Seychelles 62 45 2009 - 2022
Spain 62 46 2005 - 2022
Tanzania 62 47 2005 - 2022
UK 62 48 2005 - 2022
Colombia 61 49 2005 - 2022
Estonia 61 50 2005 - 2022
Greece 61 51 2005 - 2022
Hungary 61 52 2005 - 2022
Ireland 61 53 2005 - 2022
Ukraine 61 54 2005 - 2022
Belize 60 55 2005 - 2022
Benin 60 56 2005 - 2022
Bosnia & Herz. 60 57 2005 - 2022
Lithuania 60 58 2005 - 2022
Peru 60 59 2005 - 2022
Solomon Isl. 60 60 2009 - 2022
Switzerland 60 61 2005 - 2022
Thailand 60 62 2005 - 2022
Uruguay 60 63 2005 - 2022
Croatia 59 64 2005 - 2022
Dominica 59 65 2009 - 2022
France 59 66 2005 - 2022
Indonesia 59 67 2005 - 2022
Netherlands 59 68 2005 - 2022
St. Vincent & ... 59 69 2009 - 2022
Chile 58 70 2005 - 2022
India 58 71 2005 - 2022
Lesotho 58 72 2005 - 2022
Mexico 58 73 2005 - 2022
Philippines 58 74 2005 - 2022
Saint Lucia 58 75 2009 - 2022
Belgium 57 76 2005 - 2022
Bhutan 57 77 2009 - 2022
China 57 78 2005 - 2022
Costa Rica 57 79 2005 - 2022
Czechia 57 80 2005 - 2022
Ecuador 57 81 2005 - 2022
Israel 57 82 2005 - 2022
Jordan 57 83 2005 - 2022
Kenya 57 84 2005 - 2022
Malaysia 57 85 2005 - 2022
Russia 57 86 2005 - 2022
Slovakia 57 87 2005 - 2022
Tr.&Tobago 57 88 2005 - 2022
Azerbaijan 56 89 2005 - 2022
Brazil 56 90 2005 - 2022
Comoros 56 91 2009 - 2022
G.-Bissau 56 92 2005 - 2022
Ivory Coast 56 93 2005 - 2022
Luxembourg 56 94 2005 - 2022
Madagascar 56 95 2005 - 2022
Malawi 56 96 2005 - 2022
Poland 56 97 2005 - 2022
Portugal 56 98 2005 - 2022
South Korea 56 99 2005 - 2022
Sri Lanka 56 100 2005 - 2022
Tonga 56 101 2009 - 2022
Tunisia 56 102 2005 - 2022
Bahrain 55 103 2005 - 2022
Chad 55 104 2005 - 2022
El Salvador 55 105 2005 - 2022
Ghana 55 106 2005 - 2022
Haiti 55 107 2005 - 2022
Swaziland 55 108 2005 - 2022
Togo 55 109 2005 - 2022
Uganda 55 110 2005 - 2022
Angola 54 111 2006 - 2022
DR Congo 54 112 2009 - 2022
Gabon 54 113 2005 - 2022
Lebanon 54 114 2005 - 2022
Mali 54 115 2005 - 2022
Niger 54 116 2005 - 2022
North Macedonia 54 117 2005 - 2022
Senegal 54 118 2005 - 2022
Vietnam 54 119 2005 - 2022
Domin. Rep. 53 120 2005 - 2022
Kuwait 53 121 2005 - 2022
Algeria 52 122 2005 - 2022
Cape Verde 52 123 2005 - 2022
Germany 52 124 2005 - 2022
Kyrgyzstan 52 125 2005 - 2022
Maldives 52 126 2009 - 2022
Nepal 52 127 2005 - 2022
Pakistan 52 128 2005 - 2022
Qatar 52 129 2005 - 2022
Albania 51 130 2005 - 2022
Argentina 51 131 2005 - 2022
Djibouti 51 132 2005 - 2022
Eritrea 51 133 2009 - 2022
Burma 50 134 2005 - 2022
Guatemala 50 135 2005 - 2022
Guinea 50 136 2005 - 2022
Iran 49 137 2005 - 2022
Mauritania 49 138 2005 - 2022
Cambodia 48 139 2005 - 2022
Uzbekistan 48 140 2005 - 2022
Armenia 47 141 2005 - 2022
Belarus 47 142 2005 - 2022
Eq. Guinea 47 143 2005 - 2022
Gambia 47 144 2005 - 2022
Mozambique 47 145 2005 - 2022
Nicaragua 47 146 2005 - 2022
Turkey 47 147 2005 - 2022
Bolivia 46 148 2005 - 2022
Cameroon 46 149 2005 - 2022
Moldova 46 150 2005 - 2022
Morocco 46 151 2005 - 2022
Oman 46 152 2005 - 2022
Sudan 45 153 2013 - 2022
Laos 44 154 2005 - 2022
Liberia 43 155 2009 - 2022
R. of Congo 43 156 2005 - 2022
Rwanda 43 157 2005 - 2022
Tajikistan 43 158 2005 - 2022
Burundi 42 159 2006 - 2022
S.T.&Principe 42 160 2009 - 2022
Zambia 42 161 2005 - 2022
Saudi Arabia 41 162 2005 - 2022
C.A. Republic 40 163 2005 - 2022
Vanuatu 40 164 2009 - 2022
Ethiopia 39 165 2005 - 2022
Honduras 39 166 2005 - 2022
Paraguay 39 167 2005 - 2022
Sierra Leone 38 168 2005 - 2022
Venezuela 38 169 2005 - 2022
Bangladesh 37 170 2005 - 2022
Zimbabwe 35 171 2005 - 2022
Egypt 33 172 2005 - 2022
Turkmenistan 31 173 2005 - 2022
Cuba 20 174 2005 - 2022
North Korea 5 175 2005 - 2022


Definition: The Labor freedom index is composed of six quantitative factors: ratio of minimum wage to the average value added per worker, hindrance to hiring additional workers, rigidity of hours, difficulty of firing redundant employees, legally mandated notice period, and mandatory severance pay. The index is based on data collected in connection with the World Bank’s Doing Business study.
1. Micronesia
2. Austria
3. Singapore
4. USA
5. Brunei
6. Nigeria
7. Samoa
8. New Zealand
9. South Africa
10. Italy
11. Mauritius
12. Bahamas
13. Canada
14. Norway
15. Taiwan
16. Mongolia
17. Guyana
18. Iceland
19. Japan
20. Cyprus
21. Fiji
22. Finland
23. Jamaica
24. Kiribati
25. Papua N.G.
26. Sweden
27. UA Emirates
28. Australia
29. Bulgaria
30. Denmark
31. Romania
32. Suriname
33. Barbados
34. Kazakhstan
35. Namibia
36. Serbia
37. Slovenia
38. Botswana
39. Burkina Faso
40. Georgia
41. Latvia
42. Malta
43. Montenegro
44. Panama
45. Seychelles
46. Spain
47. Tanzania
48. UK
49. Colombia
50. Estonia
51. Greece
52. Hungary
53. Ireland
54. Ukraine
55. Belize
56. Benin
57. Bosnia & Herz.
58. Lithuania
59. Peru
60. Solomon Isl.
61. Switzerland
62. Thailand
63. Uruguay
64. Croatia
65. Dominica
66. France
67. Indonesia
68. Netherlands
69. St. Vincent & ...
70. Chile
71. India
72. Lesotho
73. Mexico
74. Philippines
75. Saint Lucia
76. Belgium
77. Bhutan
78. China
79. Costa Rica
80. Czechia
81. Ecuador
82. Israel
83. Jordan
84. Kenya
85. Malaysia
86. Russia
87. Slovakia
88. Tr.&Tobago
89. Azerbaijan
90. Brazil
91. Comoros
92. G.-Bissau
93. Ivory Coast
94. Luxembourg
95. Madagascar
96. Malawi
97. Poland
98. Portugal
99. South Korea
100. Sri Lanka
101. Tonga
102. Tunisia
103. Bahrain
104. Chad
105. El Salvador
106. Ghana
107. Haiti
108. Swaziland
109. Togo
110. Uganda
111. Angola
112. DR Congo
113. Gabon
114. Lebanon
115. Mali
116. Niger
117. North Macedonia
118. Senegal
119. Vietnam
120. Domin. Rep.
121. Kuwait
122. Algeria
123. Cape Verde
124. Germany
125. Kyrgyzstan
126. Maldives
127. Nepal
128. Pakistan
129. Qatar
130. Albania
131. Argentina
132. Djibouti
133. Eritrea
134. Burma
135. Guatemala
136. Guinea
137. Iran
138. Mauritania
139. Cambodia
140. Uzbekistan
141. Armenia
142. Belarus
143. Eq. Guinea
144. Gambia
145. Mozambique
146. Nicaragua
147. Turkey
148. Bolivia
149. Cameroon
150. Moldova
151. Morocco
152. Oman
153. Sudan
154. Laos
155. Liberia
156. R. of Congo
157. Rwanda
158. Tajikistan
159. Burundi
160. S.T.&Principe
161. Zambia
162. Saudi Arabia
163. C.A. Republic
164. Vanuatu
165. Ethiopia
166. Honduras
167. Paraguay
168. Sierra Leone
169. Venezuela
170. Bangladesh
171. Zimbabwe
172. Egypt
173. Turkmenistan
174. Cuba
175. North Korea
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20
5
0
20.5
41
61.5
82
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