Dateline: Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Free markets, capitalism, and the USA have traditionally gone hand-in-hand.

If you grew up inside the confines of America, you would think that it is the only place in the world where capitalism exists. These days, capitalism does exist in the Land of the Free, but as taxes and regulations increase it is dying away.

That’s not to say that there aren’t a lot of capitalist-minded people in the US. There are many capitalists in the United States who choose to deal with the limitations, but American culture has long ceased to be capitalist.

Heck, even the Republican presidential nominee is against free trade!

I was just talking to a client the other day who has a multi-million dollar business in the US and feels he isn’t wanted. Instead of thanking him for creating jobs, the government and culture are anything but welcoming.

When this is the case, many of the world’s capitalists seek out countries that value innovation, job creation and everything else that comes with free-market economies. Fortunately, capitalism still has a chance of thriving in many other parts of the world.

So what are the world’s strongest free market economies? Here are a few examples:

China

While personal freedom is not part of the equation in China, capitalism is rampant. And, for the most part, China does capitalism better than the US — in fact, better than most countries. While China is still communist, it is more “by name only” at this point.

In recent years, China has shown itself to be more recession-resistant than most countries as well. While the US government likes to claim it is “for the people” and influenced by individuals, it usually acts in its own interests. As such, very little actual change ever takes place that will benefit the market.

In China, the system is designed to encourage entrepreneurship. There is also a general cultural affinity toward capitalism. It is the same in places like Vietnam. Though it sounds ironic, these are the places where people work very hard and are interested in money and in starting businesses. The government tolerates it because they recognize it’s the only way to go. Sure, tolerance is not as good as wide open arms, but it’s better than actively working against the free market culture and saying “You didn’t build that.”

Plus, the Chinese government has the ability to move more quickly as it is not tied to the comforting but useless “checks and balances” that Americans claim keep them free. While special interests dominate the democratic government in America, China has no place for this kind of gridlock. Yes, the government in China can run roughshod over citizens, but it can also be more adaptive and reform quickly without being weighed down by corporate bribes.

Hong Kong

Traditionally billed as the world’s freest economy, Hong Kong remains one of the most capitalist countries. It’s almost non-existent tariffs and small government are a recipe for capitalist success.

Although it is technically a “Special Administrative Region” of China, it stands on its own as an independent free market. Hong Kong’s gross domestic product (GDP) per capita of over $40,000 is one of the highest in the world, more than four times higher than China’s.

There are signs that crony-capitalism is now creeping into the city-state. However, it is still a more capitalist culture, where business is the priority. In addition, it is one of the best and easiest places to open up an offshore company.

Singapore

Like Hong Kong, Singapore’s capitalism is under siege with growing cronyism. However, the small island country still needs to be mentioned in a discussion of the strongest free market economies. Like China, the government is not big on personal freedom, but it is fundamentally pro-business and adaptive to changes in the market.

Singapore has also become the “Switzerland of Asia” for banking (now much better than Switzerland). The rules are much less restrictive in Singapore vs. the United States. For example, you can transport up to S$30,000 (about US$24,000) in or out of the country without any questions being asked. (Compare this with the US’s $10,000 limit). You can also buy and sell gold and silver bullion in Singapore tax-free.

Macedonia

Located in the Balkans, to the south of Serbia, Macedonia has made great strides toward free-market policies in the past decade. The country is an increasingly pro-business area with 0% tax zones, free trade zones, and 10% corporate tax. Additionally, it only takes two days to start a business in Macedonia and no minimum capital is required.

The country is working to become more transparent and to create a more flexible labor market after years of unemployment. The Heritage Foundation notes that while property rights and corruption are still a concern in the country, there has been notable success in trade freedom, regulatory efficiency, and fiscal freedom. Because of these reforms, there is a growing entrepreneurial sector in Macedonia.

Foreign and domestic investors are treated equally and, if you’re willing to start a business and hire local workers, you can become a Macedonian citizen after just one year. The program is targeted specifically at entrepreneurs who can invest at least €400,000 for a minimum of three years.

Macedonia is one of many Eastern European countries that are embracing free-market principles as they strive for greater growth and development. The leader and trend-setter in this area is, of course, Estonia, which adopted free-market policies as soon as it was out of the grasp of communism. Capitalism has worked well for Estonia and the many countries that have followed its example.

In fact, the final country on this list is another post-Soviet government following in Estonia’s footsteps…

Georgia

Most people think of Georgia as either a backwoods communist state in Eastern Europe or a backwoods state in the USA. The former view would be incorrect. Here’s what the previous president of Georgia had to say in 2010:

“Georgia is the world champion in economic reforms. No other country and no other government in the world has done as much as the Georgian government did to improve doing of business and for creating opportunities”

-Mikhail Saakashvili, former President of Georgia, 8 November 2010 (Georgia 2010)

Structural reforms have included privatization, competitive flat tax rates, and modernization of the regulatory environment. Of course, I’ve already written an entire article on why Georgia is one of the most capitalist countries in the world. So I’ll leave it at that for now.

These are some of the world’s strongest free-market economies. While they may not look it on paper (and shouldn’t be confused with overall levels of freedom), these are countries where capitalism is still embraced. Keep these countries in mind in your quest to keep your money and your business safe and secure.