2011 International Property Rights Index

2011 International Property Rights Index

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Only the protection of individual property rights also enables the poor to economic advancement.

A look at the earth at night is worth a thousand words, while North Korea appears as a black spot on the map, South Korea shines in the bright light of economic progress. The difference is that the institution of private property. Once again, documented by the Liberal Institute in cooperation with the Property Rights Alliance, published in International Index of property rights, the basic function of property. Where private property is protected, to make investment and wealth increases detectable. The index rises once more the state of property protection in 129 countries worldwide, where in addition to the physical and intellectual property protection and the stability of the legal framework is measured.

Empirically also leads to a significant association of secure property rights and economic development document. In particular, the guarantee of the physical property correlated with an increasing volume of investment and economic growth. Countless "failed states" of the African continent could thus pave the way to its citizens into prosperity - if only they would respect their property rights. The map shows the protection of property: Again, there are mainly exhibit the countries of Africa and the Middle East, but also isolated South American countries, like Venezuela and Bolivia, the dramatic shortcomings in the protection of property.

Even the countries of the West, this year's report is, however, from a bad witness: in countries such as Ireland, Denmark, Netherlands, UK and U.S., the world's biggest setbacks for the protection of individual property rights had to be recorded. Noticeably there were mainly due to the recent aftermath of the political reactions to the financial crisis. Switzerland also reported a weakening of the protection of property.

For the first time this year, the report problematises the equality of the sexes: not least hindered the weak protection of the rights of women in many places a broad economic participation. Case studies from Buenos Aires or Hong Kong impressively documented: first, the protection of individual property rights also enables the poorest of society to save and invest, and thus the economic growth.Insecure property rights are now the biggest obstacle to economic development in many parts of the earth.

Download report (149 pages, PDF)

http://www.libinst.ch/?i=2011-eigentumsrechte