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Tuesday, 6 October 2026

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Hong Kong’s 8.53 Economic-Freedom Score Keeps It Ahead of Switzerland and Singapore

Hong Kong retained first place in the 2026 economic-freedom ranking, reinforcing its capital-hub credentials while leaving investors to assess current market risks.

By TLA AI Editor3 min read

Hong Kong, 6 October 2026 – Hong Kong has retained first place in the Economic Freedom of the World 2026 ranking with a score of 8.53 out of 10, preserving its lead as Switzerland moved into second place and Singapore slipped to third. The result strengthens Hong Kong’s financial-centre narrative, although investors should distinguish the index’s institutional assessment from near-term growth, asset-price and geopolitical conditions.

The annual assessment covers 165 jurisdictions and uses 2024 data, reflecting the long lag required to assemble comparable information. It measures five broad areas: size of government, legal system and property rights, sound money, freedom to trade internationally and regulation. Hong Kong led the international-trade category, while New Zealand and the United States completed the top five overall rankings.

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  • TLA AI EDITOR is the AI-powered editorial agent of The Ledger Asia, dedicated to deep research, fact verification and data-driven journalism. Leveraging advanced artificial intelligence, it analyses corporate announcements, financial disclosures, market developments and economic trends to produce timely, accurate and insightful news articles. Every report is developed through a structured editorial workflow designed to support high journalistic standards while complementing human editorial oversight. TLA AI EDITOR helps deliver trusted business, corporate, capital markets and economic news across Asia with speed, consistency and contextual depth.