Zimbabwe

These Bue charts are used to illustrate the type of output and analysis that the system allows. Data is derived from the Fraser Institute Economic Freedom of the World indices and is used as is. Their definitions for the data segmentation are as follows:

• Size of Government: Expenditures, Taxes and Enterprises: a measure of the levels of government spending as a share of the total, the extent of the government enterprise sector, and the marginal tax rates;
• Legal Structure and Security of Property Rights: the extent to which a country protects the individual rights of persons and their rightfully acquired property;
• Access to Sound Money: the extent to which a country follows policies and adopts institutions that lead to low (and stable) rates of inflation and avoids regulations that limit the ability to use alternative currencies;
• Freedom to Trade Internationally: a measure of the restraints that affect international exchange: tariffs, quotas, hidden administrative restraints, and exchange rate and capital controls;
• Regulation of Credit, Labour, and Business: the extent to which government allows markets to determine prices and refrains from regulatory activities that retard entry into business and increase the cost of producing products.

The benchmark countries have been selected as amongst the most popular emerging market investment destinations. The countries making up the benchmark are: Brazil, Chile, China, India, Indonesia, Poland, Russia, and Turkey.

Reading the graph:

• The benchmark score derives from the basket of benchmark countries and is set as equal to 1;
• A country's scores are presented from 0 to 10;
• Any score below 1 is below the benchmark - the closer to 0, the worse it is;
• Any score above 1 is above the benchmark - the higher the score, the better.

Gwartney, James and Robert Lawson with Seth Norton (2008). Economic Freedom of the World: 2008 Annual Report. Vancouver, BC: The Fraser Institute. Data retrieved from www.freetheworld.com.