Secure property rights are essential for the functioning of market economies and thus for the creation of prosperity. This applies to the developed industrial countries as well as for the developing countries, where there is disregard of individual property rights meaning many people are unable to escape poverty.
The current study analyzes data for 125 countries around the globe, representing ninety-seven percent of world GDP. Of great importance, the 2010 gauge incorporates data of property rights protection from various sources, often directly obtained from expert surveys within the evaluated countries.
