This study empirically investigates the relationship between economic freedom and
financial development in EU countries. Using panel data covering the years 2000–2017 and
employing fixed effects, random effects, and the generalised method of moments (GMM),
the paper examines the effect of economic freedom on financial development. The research
results demonstrate that greater economic freedom is conducive to financial development
in the EU. These findings remain robust to the use of an alternative index of economic
freedom. The results imply that policies which promote economic freedom are likely to
raise the level of a country’s financial development.