A new edition of the Nanny State Index has just been released — a ranking that measures how heavily European countries regulate their citizens’ lifestyles. Experts from the Civil Development Forum (FOR) are sounding the alarm: “Virtually all of the countries surveyed are increasingly turning to paternalistic solutions.”
The Nanny State Index, developed by the Institute of Economic Affairs in cooperation with the European think tank network EPICENTER, evaluates the level of government intervention in areas such as alcohol, food and soft drinks, tobacco, and other nicotine products.
This year’s most paternalistic countries are Turkey, Lithuania, and Finland, while Italy, Luxembourg, and Germany rank as the least paternalistic.
Less and Less Freedom
The Civil Development Forum warns that, instead of prioritizing citizens’ well-being, an increasing number of governments are attempting to control people’s lifestyles.
“The takeaway from the Nanny State Index is not ‘let’s eliminate all regulations” said Marek Tatala, president of the Economic Freedom Foundation (EFF). “I want public policy to be evidence-based — to better balance health goals with economic policy, to avoid pushing consumers into the grey market, and to ensure that politicians act in the spirit of harm reduction, not excessive paternalism.”
Freedom Without Health Impact?
Interestingly, the report highlights that there is no clear correlation between stricter regulations and better health outcomes, such as life expectancy, smoking rates, or alcohol consumption. However, a strong link is observed between higher income levels and longer lifespans. The conclusion?
The most important factors for citizens’ health and longevity are sound economic conditions — that is, a market-oriented economic policy.
Explore the full findings of the Nanny State Index at nannystateindex.org
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