Property rights statistics help compare how strongly countries protect ownership, contracts, and control over assets. The 2026 Index of Economic Freedom assigns property-rights scores from 0 to 100 to the countries listed below. The figures are scores for 2026, not percentages of households that own property or estimates of property values. The source is the 2026 Index of Economic Freedom, published by the Heritage Foundation.
Contents
- Northern and Western Europe
- The Americas
- Asia-Pacific
- Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia
- Middle East and North Africa
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- How to read these property rights statistics
Northern and Western Europe
Northern and Western Europe contains the highest concentration of scores in this dataset. Denmark and Finland each receive 99.9, while Norway receives 99.6. These three scores are all within 0.3 points of the top of the scale.
The Netherlands receives 96.0, Sweden 96.2, and Germany 95.5. Switzerland and Ireland are both assigned 94.4. Estonia and the United Kingdom each receive 93.6. The range among the ten countries is therefore 6.3 points, from 93.6 to 99.9.
| Country | 2026 property-rights score |
|---|---|
| Denmark | 99.9 |
| Finland | 99.9 |
| Norway | 99.6 |
| Sweden | 96.2 |
| The Netherlands | 96.0 |
| Germany | 95.5 |
| Switzerland | 94.4 |
| Ireland | 94.4 |
| Estonia | 93.6 |
| United Kingdom | 93.6 |
The comparison illustrates that a high regional result does not mean every country has the same score. Denmark and Finland are tied at 99.9, while Estonia and the United Kingdom are tied at 93.6. The Heritage Foundation’s score is an index measure on a 0–100 scale; it should not be read as a direct probability that a particular ownership dispute will be resolved successfully.
The Americas
The Americas show a wider spread than Northern and Western Europe. The United States receives 91.6 and Uruguay 87.4. Canada is assigned 85.9, while Barbados receives 76.4. Chile receives 69.7, Jamaica 66.8, and Costa Rica 66.0.
The lower scores in this regional group are 49.2 for Brazil, 41.2 for Argentina, and 37.6 for Mexico. Across the ten countries listed, the difference between the highest score, 91.6 for the United States, and the lowest, 37.6 for Mexico, is 54.0 points.
| Country | 2026 property-rights score |
|---|---|
| United States | 91.6 |
| Uruguay | 87.4 |
| Canada | 85.9 |
| Barbados | 76.4 |
| Chile | 69.7 |
| Jamaica | 66.8 |
| Costa Rica | 66.0 |
| Brazil | 49.2 |
| Argentina | 41.2 |
| Mexico | 37.6 |
This regional comparison is descriptive rather than a ranking of all countries in the Americas. It covers only the countries included in the supplied 2026 figures. The scores also measure the source’s property-rights index concept, rather than land-registration coverage, homeownership, or the market price of real estate.
Asia-Pacific
Asia-Pacific includes both very high and substantially lower scores. Japan receives 94.2, South Korea 89.6, Singapore 89.2, and Australia 88.2. New Zealand receives 85.4, while Taiwan receives 83.4. These six countries and economies all score above 80 on the Heritage Foundation’s 0–100 scale.
The next group is Malaysia at 62.7, followed by India at 48.3 and Vietnam at 47.3. Indonesia receives 39.7. The listed Asia-Pacific scores run from 94.2 in Japan to 39.7 in Indonesia, a spread of 54.5 points.
| Country or economy | 2026 property-rights score |
|---|---|
| Japan | 94.2 |
| South Korea | 89.6 |
| Singapore | 89.2 |
| Australia | 88.2 |
| New Zealand | 85.4 |
| Taiwan | 83.4 |
| Malaysia | 62.7 |
| India | 48.3 |
| Vietnam | 47.3 |
| Indonesia | 39.7 |
The distribution matters when interpreting a regional average or headline. Asia-Pacific is not represented by one uniform property-rights outcome in these figures. Japan’s 94.2 and Indonesia’s 39.7 describe markedly different positions on the same index scale, while India and Vietnam are close to one another at 48.3 and 47.3.
Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia
Lithuania has the highest listed score in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia at 91.8. The Czech Republic receives 89.8, Latvia 88.8, Slovenia 87.6, Croatia 81.1, and Romania 81.0. These six entries are all above 80.
Bulgaria receives 75.8 and Poland 71.8. Hungary is assigned 67.3, while Georgia receives 53.0. The highest and lowest listed scores differ by 38.8 points, from Lithuania’s 91.8 to Georgia’s 53.0.
| Country | 2026 property-rights score |
|---|---|
| Lithuania | 91.8 |
| Czech Republic | 89.8 |
| Latvia | 88.8 |
| Slovenia | 87.6 |
| Croatia | 81.1 |
| Romania | 81.0 |
| Bulgaria | 75.8 |
| Poland | 71.8 |
| Hungary | 67.3 |
| Georgia | 53.0 |
The figures show several close pairs. Croatia and Romania differ by 0.1 point, while Latvia and Slovenia differ by 1.2 points. Such small differences are still index-score differences, not evidence that the underlying legal or administrative experience differs by exactly the same amount.
Middle East and North Africa
In the Middle East and North Africa group, Israel receives 73.1 and Oman 71.8. Qatar is assigned 66.2, the United Arab Emirates 62.9, and Bahrain 60.9. Tunisia and Morocco receive 55.7 and 55.2, respectively.
Saudi Arabia receives 51.4, while Egypt receives 35.5. Iran has the lowest listed score in this group at 20.2. The range across the ten entries is 52.9 points, from Israel’s 73.1 to Iran’s 20.2.
| Country | 2026 property-rights score |
|---|---|
| Israel | 73.1 |
| Oman | 71.8 |
| Qatar | 66.2 |
| United Arab Emirates | 62.9 |
| Bahrain | 60.9 |
| Tunisia | 55.7 |
| Morocco | 55.2 |
| Saudi Arabia | 51.4 |
| Egypt | 35.5 |
| Iran | 20.2 |
The closest comparison in this group is Tunisia and Morocco, separated by 0.5 point. At the other end, Iran’s 20.2 is 31.2 points below Egypt’s 51.4? No: the relevant comparison is Iran against Saudi Arabia, a difference of 31.2 points. Keeping the comparison countries explicit avoids treating the regional range as an unnamed average or estimate.
Sub-Saharan Africa
Mauritius receives the highest listed Sub-Saharan African score at 83.9. Botswana follows at 71.7, and Rwanda receives 60.3. Ghana is assigned 50.2, South Africa 48.8, Tanzania 45.2, and Zambia 43.9.
Kenya receives 40.2, Nigeria 29.7, and Ethiopia 19.1. The listed scores therefore span 64.8 points, from Mauritius at 83.9 to Ethiopia at 19.1. Mauritius is the only country in this group above 80 in the supplied figures.
| Country | 2026 property-rights score |
|---|---|
| Mauritius | 83.9 |
| Botswana | 71.7 |
| Rwanda | 60.3 |
| Ghana | 50.2 |
| South Africa | 48.8 |
| Tanzania | 45.2 |
| Zambia | 43.9 |
| Kenya | 40.2 |
| Nigeria | 29.7 |
| Ethiopia | 19.1 |
The middle of the group includes several relatively close scores: Ghana and South Africa differ by 1.4 points, while Tanzania and Zambia differ by 1.3 points. Nigeria’s 29.7 is 10.5 points below Kenya’s 40.2, and Ethiopia’s 19.1 is 10.6 points below Nigeria’s score.
How to read these property rights statistics
The common measurement across all six sections is the Heritage Foundation’s 0–100 property-rights score for 2026. A higher score indicates a higher position on that index measure; a lower score indicates a lower position. The figures do not state the number of property owners, the share of disputed titles, the time needed to register land, or the value of assets.
The geography is also important. The article compares selected countries within broad regions, not every country worldwide. A regional section can contain ten listed countries, but its range is calculated only from those entries. For example, the Americas section runs from 37.6 to 91.6 among the ten countries shown, while the Northern and Western Europe section runs from 93.6 to 99.9 among its ten entries.
The scores are best used as a standardized cross-country reference for the 2026 measurement period. They should not be combined with older editions without checking whether the methodology, country coverage, and measurement period are comparable. They also should not be presented as forecasts: the supplied figures are 2026 index scores, not projections of future property-rights conditions.
Source for every score: the Heritage Foundation, 2026 Index of Economic Freedom. The source label and measurement period apply to all country figures in this article.