Bulgaria occupies the 41^st position in the latest edition of the Human Freedom Index - a global measurement of personal, civil and economic freedom ranking 152 countries on a scale from 0 to 10, where 10 represents more freedom.

Bulgaria had a freedom index of 7.8 in 2012, with a personal freedom of 8.21 and economic freedom measuring 7.39.

The freedom index of Bulgaria is above the average value for the 152 countries included in the study, which stood at 6.96.

Bulgaria ranked well on security and safety (9.5), movement (10), association, assembly and civil society (9.6) and relationships (10), while it recorded its lowest scores on rule of law – 5.1.

Bulgaria decreased its rankings from 2008 and 2010, when the country occupied respectively 38^th and 39^th place, but progressed from the 42^nd position it held in 2011.

The index measures 76 indicators of personal and economic freedom in the following areas: rule of law; security and safety; movement; religion; association, assembly and civil society; expression; relationships; size of government; legal system and property rights; access to sound money; freedom to trade internationally; regulation of credit, labour and business.

The first position is occupied by Hong Kong, followed by Switzerland and Finland, while Iran is identified as the least free country.

Out of seventeen regions, the highest levels of freedom are recorded in Northern Europe, North America (Canada and the US) and Western Europe, while the lowest are found in the Middle East and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

The index measures the degree to which people are free to enjoy their major freedoms, often referred to as civil liberties – freedom of speech, religion and association and assembly.

The index is devised by the Cato Institute, Fraser Institute, Liberales Institut, the Institute of Economic Analysis and Visio Institute.

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