Macedonia's economic freedom score is 68.6, making its economy the 43rd freest in the 2014 Index. Its overall score has increased by 0.4 point from last year, reflecting improvements in trade freedom, business freedom, and the control of public spending. Macedonia is ranked 20th out of 43 countries in the Europe region, and its overall score is above the world and regional averages.
Macedonia has scored great results since the first assessment under the Economic Freedom Index in 2002, representative of the Heritage Foundation Luke Coffey said Wednesday in Skopje after meeting the country's Vice-Premier and Finance Minister Zoran Stavreski.
Improvements have been registered in labor and investment freedom, Coffey said, pointing out that Macedonia should be proud of everything it has achieved for a short period of time.
Macedonia is pleased to be a leader of economic freedoms in SEE, which is yet another recognition for the quality of the country’s economic policies, Stavreski said.
Stavreski expressed belief that Macedonia would score better in the 2015 Index of Economic Freedom. I believe that ongoing reforms and measures will yield results in several spheres and enable even better ranking for the country's economic freedoms, Stavreski said.
Once considered a 'mostly unfree' economy, Macedonia joined the ranks of the 'moderately free' in 2007 and has achieved its highest economic freedom score ever in the 2014 Index.
For 20 years The Heritage Foundation, in partnership with The Wall Street Journal, has tracked the march of economic freedom around the world with the influential Index of Economic Freedom.
