Alberta is once again the freest province in Canada, according to the Economic Freedom of North America 2025 report released this week by the Fraser Institute. But before anyone pops champagne: Alberta ranks just 30th when compared with all 93 jurisdictions across Canada, the United States, and Mexico.

That puts Alberta behind 29 U.S. states, and tied with West Virginia, despite leading the Canadian pack. Alberta’s overall score in the all-government index is 7.94/10, a slight drop from 8.01 in last year’s report, when Alberta tied for 12th place.

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Other provinces fare even worse

The rest of Canada doesn’t just trail the U.S. — it falls right into the basement.

• British Columbia ranks 47th (tied with Rhode Island).

• Ontario sits at 49th.

• Manitoba ranks 54th.

• Saskatchewan lands at 55th.

• New Brunswick (57th), Nova Scotia and P.E.I. (58th), and Newfoundland & Labrador (60th) round out the bottom.

In total, seven of Canada’s 10 provinces rank below every single U.S. state.

What the index measures

The all-government index combines provincial/state policies — like taxation, labour regulation, and spending — with national-level factors, including:

• Federal taxation

• Trade openness

• Monetary stability

• Property-rights protections

• Business and labour-market regulation

The Fraser Institute notes that jurisdictions in the top 25% enjoy average incomes 19 times higher than those in the bottom quartile; a direct correlation that links economic freedom with prosperity.

A sharp drop from last year

In the 2024 rankings, Alberta sat comfortably in the 12th position, tied with economic heavyweights like Tennessee, Texas, Colorado, and South Dakota. Its fall to 30th this year suggests worsening economic-freedom conditions once federal-level dynamics are factored in.

Alberta is still the strongest economic performer in Canada.  However, when federal policy burdens are layered on, Canada’s competitiveness collapses across North America, and even its freest province can’t break into the continent’s top tier.