Brazil's states lag and lead in implementing economic freedom law

The 2026 Ranking Nacional de Liberdade para Trabalhar shows that Acre remains among the states with the lowest progress in applying the Lei de Liberdade Econômica, offering only the 298 low‑risk activities exempt from state permits and ranking in the orange tier alongside Alagoas, Mato Grosso, Distrito Federal and Pará.

In contrast, Paraná leads with 975 exempt activities, followed by Goiás (960), Minas Gerais (945), Sergipe (936) and São Paulo (927), all reaching the highest green‑dark tier. The study notes that seven years after the federal law's enactment, just 44.3% of Brazil's municipalities have formally adopted the law, yet those that have seen a 40% rise in hiring and an 89% increase in new company registrations.