August 29, 2007 10:26AM 

# Tax Havens and Prosperity 

By [Daniel J. Mitchell](https://www.cato.org/people/daniel-mitchell) 

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The Central Intelligence Agency [ranks ](https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2004rank.html)229 nations and territories based on per capita gross domestic product and a quick look at the list shows that tax havens dominate the top of the rankings. A majority of the top 20 jurisdictions are tax havens, based on the definition put forth in 2000 by the statists at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Luxembourg, Bermuda, and Jersey (the one in the Channel Islands) top the list, while places like the Cayman Islands, Andorra, Hong Kong, and Switzerland also rank among the world’s richest jurisdictions. In an ideal world, other nations would emulate the so-called tax havens. Instead, high-tax nations [persecute ](http://www.heritage.org/Research/Taxes/BG1395.cfm)these jurisdictions as part of an effort to create an OPEC for politicians.

##### Related Tags 

[General](https://www.cato.org/general), [Tax and Budget Policy](https://www.cato.org/tax-budget-policy) 

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