The 2023 HFI, compiled by the U.S.-based Cato Institute and Canada-based Frasier Institute, ranked 165 jurisdictions for personal freedom and economic freedom in 2021, the most recent year for which sufficient data were available, according to the index report.
In the index, which bases human freedom on two main categories -- economic and personal freedom -- Taiwan scored a 7.97 score for economic freedom, ranking 11th in the world (up from 24th in 2020), and an 8.98 score for personal freedom, ranking 12th (unchanged from 2020).
The definition of freedom used in the index is negative freedom or the absence of coercive constraint, according to the report.
Economic freedom criteria consists of the size of government, legal system and property rights, sound money (focusing mainly on inflation), freedom to trade internationally, and regulation.
Personal freedom criteria cover the rule of law, security and safety, movement, religion, expression and information, relationships, and association, assembly and civil society.
The report said that human freedom "deteriorated severely in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic," pointing to "significant declines in the rule of law, freedom of movement, expression, association and assembly, and freedom to trade."
Taiwan saw a similar decline in its scores after having seen consistent rises from a score of 8.31 and a ranking of 28th in the index's first year in 2000 to peaks of 8.81 in 2016 and 2019 and an improvement in rankings from 17th in 2016 to 14th in 2019.
In 2020 and 2021, Taiwan's score fell to 8.56, with its economic freedom score dipping under 8 for the first time since the mid-2010s and personal freedom dropping below 9 for the first time since the early 2000s.
Yet there were only two main factors showing substantial decline during those two years in the index -- freedom of movement, likely due to travel restrictions related to COVID-19, media and expression as defined by Varieties of Democracy, a Swedish research institute.
In other categories, Taiwan's scores remained relatively unchanged from the past.
Elsewhere in the world, Switzerland ranked first for the fourth year in a row. It was followed by New Zealand, Denmark, Ireland, Estonia and Sweden (tied for fifth), Iceland, Luxembourg, Finland and Norway.
Japan was the second highest ranked country in Asia at 16th, followed by South Korea at 28th, Armenia in 33rd and Singapore in 44th.
China was 149th, and the lowest ranked jurisdiction was Syria.
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