Fraser Institute: Israel ranks 81 in Economic Freedom Ranking

The area in which Israel is least free is the size of government (5), a high marginal tax rate (5) and a high level of government spending (3)
 
Israel has slipped in the rankings for economic freedom, according to the Economic Freedom of the World: 2010 Annual Report, published by the Fraser Institute of Canada. Israel was ranked 81 in the world out of 141 countries in terms of economic freedom, down from 78 last year.
 
The Economic Freedom of the World annual reports rate nations by five criteria: government size; legal structure and protection of property rights; access to sound money; freedom to conduct international trade; and credit, labor, and business regulation.
 
The countries with the top 10 highest economic freedom ratings were Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand, Switzerland, Chile, US, Canada, Australia, Mauritius, and the UK. Germany and Japan were ranked #24 and #25, respectively. Zimbabwe, Angola, and the Republic of Congo, and the Central African Republic, were all in the bottom 10.
 
Israel found itself ranked behind Haiti ranked 78, Fiji 79 and Egypt 80 but ahead of China and South Africa ranked 82 and Russia ranked 84. Hong Kong topped the rankings followed by Singapore, New Zealand, Switzerland, Chile and the US in sixth place. The UK was in 10th place.
 
The Index is based on data collected in 2008. The area in which Israel is least free, for which it received a score of 5 out of 10, is the size of government, a high marginal tax rate (5) and a high level of government spending as a share of GDP (3.0).