North Korea ranks dead last on an economic freedom index compiled by the Wall Street Journal and the U.S.-based Heritage Foundation.

North Korea, which received only one point on a scale of one to 100 in regards to economic freedom this year, has ranked at the bottom for 16 straight years since 1995. The score dropped to one point this year from two last year and eight in 2005.

The North received five points in two different categories --- property rights and corruption --- while it earned zeros in the other eight categories, including trade and finance.