What has happened to Britain's economic freedom?
Though still free by global standards, a long and slow decline over recent decades can be reversed
The Fraser Institute’s 2025 Economic Freedom of the World report should not set off any alarm bells for freedom lovers in the UK. Its score (7.88/10) is consistent with last year and its decline (from 12th in 2024 to 13th in 2025) was modest. It does, however, confirm a long, slow downward trend from the halcyon days of the early 2000s, with a slight acceleration since Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic.
