YEREVAN. – Armenia occupies the 35th place in the Economic Freedom of the World 2012 index published by the U.S. Cato Institute.

Hong Kong leads the rating, followed by Singapore, New Zealand, Switzerland and Australia, while Venezuela ends the rating of the 144 states. Georgia is 42d, Azerbaijan 116th and Russia 95th.

To note, Armenia occupied 32d place in the 2010 index. The economic freedom level, which is observed in all criteria, is reducing for the U.S. year by year, the authors of the report claim.