Vietnam achieves unique milestone in Heritage Foundation Economic Freedom Index

Vietnam scored 64.4 points in the Heritage Foundation’s 2026 Economic Freedom Index, placing the country 66th worldwide and marking the only comparable improvement among the 184 nations evaluated since the index’s inception in 1995. The rise of more than 20 points reflects market‑oriented reforms that have expanded personal and business liberties, with the index measuring 12 factors across rule of law, government size, regulatory efficiency and open markets.

The report notes that the United States recorded the largest gain among developed economies, while Singapore remains the top performer globally with 84.4 points, followed by Switzerland, Ireland, Australia and Taiwan in the top five.

Heritage Foundation’s methodology averages scores on the 12 freedoms, assigning equal weight to each pillar, and updates data through mid‑2025. Vietnam’s achievement is highlighted as a rare case of substantial economic‑freedom progress, underscoring the country’s transition to a more dynamic, export‑driven economy.