On Wednesday, July 15, at 1:30 p.m. ET, the Freedom and Prosperity Center will launch its 2026 Freedom and Indexes. After a year defined by shifting economic alliances, a surge of youth-led political protests, and international insecurity, the newest edition of the Indexes provide a comprehensive look at trends in economic freedom, political freedom, the rule of law, and key indicators of prosperity across 171 countries.
The new data shows that political freedom and the rule of law continued to decline while economic freedom remained stable in 2025, and global progress on prosperity continued to slow after the initial post-COVID rebound.