| Overall | Trade | Fiscal | Government | Monetary | Foreign | Banking/ | Wages/ | Property | Regulation | Black | |||||
| rank | country | year | Score | Burden | Intervention | Policy | Investment | Finance | Prices | Rights | Market | inc | incyr | ||
| 1 | Hong Kong | 2003 | 1.45 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1.5 | 23709 | 2000 |
| 2 | Singapore | 2003 | 1.5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 22959 | 1988 |
| 3 | Luxembourg | 2003 | 1.7 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 43372 | ... |
| 4 | New Zealand | 2003 | 1.7 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 13441 | 2000 |
| 5 | Ireland | 2003 | 1.75 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1.5 | 25066 | 1999 |
| 6 | Denmark | 2003 | 1.8 | 2 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 30141 | 2000 |
| 7 | Estonia | 2003 | 1.8 | 1 | 3.5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2.5 | 3569 | 1999 |
| 8 | United States | 2003 | 1.8 | 2 | 3.5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1.5 | 34637 | 1995 |
| 9 | Australia | 2003 | 1.85 | 2 | 3.5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 20298 | 1991 |
| 10 | United Kingdom | 2003 | 1.85 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1.5 | 24058 | ... |
| 11 | Finland | 2003 | 1.9 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 23377 | 2000 |
| 12 | Iceland | 2003 | 1.9 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 30681 | 1990 |
| 13 | Sweden | 2003 | 1.9 | 2 | 4.5 | 2.5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 25903 | 1996 |
| 14 | The Netherlands | 2003 | 1.9 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 988 | 2000 |
| 15 | Switzerland | 2003 | 1.95 | 2 | 3.5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 33394 | 1999 |
| 16 | Bahrain | 2003 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 9939 | 2000 |
| 17 | Chile | 2003 | 2 | 2 | 2.5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1.5 | 4669 | 1990 |
| 18 | Canada | 2003 | 2.05 | 2 | 4 | 2.5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 22778 | 1991 |
| 19 | Austria | 2003 | 2.1 | 2 | 4.5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1.5 | 23357 | 2000 |
| 20 | Belgium | 2003 | 2.1 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 22323 | 1995-96 |
| 21 | Germany | 2003 | 2.1 | 2 | 4.5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1.5 | 22753 | ... |
| 22 | Cyprus | 2003 | 2.15 | 2 | 3.5 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 11231 | 1988 |
| 23 | The Bahamas | 2003 | 2.15 | 5 | 1.5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 14147 | 1998 |
| 24 | Barbados | 2003 | 2.2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 9721 | 1998 |
| 25 | United Arab Emirates | 2003 | 2.2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 20457 | ... |
| 26 | El Salvador | 2003 | 2.25 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3.5 | 2103 | 1998 |
| 27 | Norway | 2003 | 2.3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 36198 | 2000 |
| 28 | Taiwan | 2003 | 2.3 | 2 | 3 | 2.5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2.5 | 18000 | |
| 29 | Italy | 2003 | 2.35 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2.5 | 18653 | 1987 |
| 30 | Lithuania | 2003 | 2.35 | 2 | 3.5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3039 | ... |
| 31 | Spain | 2003 | 2.35 | 2 | 4 | 2.5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 14054 | 1986 |
| 32 | Portugal | 2003 | 2.4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 10603 | 2000 |
| 33 | Israel | 2003 | 2.45 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1.5 | 19521 | 1996 |
| 34 | Latvia | 2003 | 2.45 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3.5 | 2952 | 1995 |
| 35 | Botswana | 2003 | 2.5 | 2 | 3.5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2.5 | 3225 | ... |
| 36 | Cambodia | 2003 | 2.5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 237 | 2000 |
| 37 | Czech Republic | 2003 | 2.5 | 3 | 4.5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3.5 | 4942 | 1998 |
| 38 | Japan | 2003 | 2.5 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 37494 | 2000 |
| 39 | Uruguay | 2003 | 2.5 | 3 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 6009 | 2000 |
| 40 | France | 2003 | 2.55 | 2 | 4.5 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 21848 | 1999 |
| 41 | Kuwait | 2003 | 2.55 | 2 | 2.5 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 19871 | 1990 |
| 42 | Thailand | 2003 | 2.55 | 4 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3.5 | 1945 | 2000 |
| 43 | Trinidad and Tobago | 2003 | 2.6 | 4 | 3.5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2.5 | 6239 | 1999 |
| 44 | Armenia | 2003 | 2.65 | 1 | 2.5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 506 | ... |
| 45 | Bolivia | 2003 | 2.65 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4.5 | 995 | 1992 |
| 46 | Costa Rica | 2003 | 2.65 | 2 | 3 | 2.5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3964 | ... |
| 47 | Hungary | 2003 | 2.65 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2.5 | 4649 | 1992-93 |
| 48 | Madagascar | 2003 | 2.65 | 2 | 2.5 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 249 | ... |
| 49 | Panama | 2003 | 2.65 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3.5 | 3508 | 1993 |
| 50 | Qatar | 2003 | 2.65 | 3 | 2.5 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 29100 | 2000 |
| 51 | South Africa | 2003 | 2.65 | 3 | 4.5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2954 | 1999 |
| 52 | Malta | 2003 | 2.7 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 9069 | 2000 |
| 53 | Namibia | 2003 | 2.7 | 3 | 4 | 3.5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2.5 | 1981 | 1999 |
| 54 | SOUTH Korea | 2003 | 2.7 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 9782 | |
| 55 | Belize | 2003 | 2.75 | 4 | 3.5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3345 | 1997 |
| 56 | Greece | 2003 | 2.8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 10680 | 2000 |
| 57 | Guatemala | 2003 | 2.8 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1659 | 2000 |
| 58 | Jamaica | 2003 | 2.8 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2801 | 1999 |
| 59 | Mexico | 2003 | 2.8 | 2 | 3.5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3.5 | 5805 | 1990 |
| 60 | Oman | 2003 | 2.8 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 7811 | 1988 |
| 61 | Peru | 2003 | 2.8 | 4 | 2.5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3.5 | 2085 | 1999 |
| 62 | Jordan | 2003 | 2.85 | 5 | 3.5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1556 | 2000 |
| 63 | Slovenia | 2003 | 2.85 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2.5 | 9118 | 1988-89 |
| 64 | The Philippines | 2003 | 2.85 | 2 | 2.5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 988 | 2000 |
| 65 | Uganda | 2003 | 2.85 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4.5 | 257 | 1999 |
| 66 | Poland | 2003 | 2.9 | 3 | 4.5 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3.5 | 4082 | 1994 |
| 67 | Slovak Republic | 2003 | 2.9 | 3 | 4.5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3.5 | 3570 | 1989 |
| 68 | Argentina | 2003 | 2.95 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3.5 | 7678 | ... |
| 69 | Morocco | 2003 | 2.95 | 5 | 4 | 2.5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1101 | 1985-89 |
| 70 | Saudi Arabia | 2003 | 2.95 | 4 | 2.5 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 8309 | 1991 |
| 71 | Tunisia | 2003 | 2.95 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2.5 | 2058 | ... |
| 72 | Brazil |