India ranks 110 out of 162 countries on personal freedom index

NEW YORK (TIP): A global ranking of personal, civil and economic freedom released on Thursday, December 17,  placed India at 111 out of 162 countries. The Human Freedom Index 2020, which uses data from 2008 to 2018, by the Cato Institute in the United States and Fraser Institute in Canada, noted a decrease in personal freedoms since 2008 globally. The index covered 76 indicators of personal, civic and economic freedom, a statement issued by the Cato Institute said. India was ranked 110 in terms of personal freedom and 105 on economic freedom, with an overall score of 6.43 out of 10. New Zealand was ranked one in the index, followed by Switzerland and Hong Kong. “Given the Chinese Communist Party’s unprecedented intervention in Hong Kong in 2019 and 2020, the authors expect the territory’s freedom score to decline notably in future editions of the index. The three least-free countries in descending order are Venezuela, Sudan, and Syria,” the statement said. The index put China at 129 rank, Bangladesh at 139 and Pakistan at 140.