Probably the most obvious characteristic of a free society would be its large annual wealth creation in relation to what it would otherwise be. Free markets mean more wealth, which is why the U.S., with more liberty than other nations of the world, became the richest nation on earth. Freedom is such a large part of the equation, that it wouldn't take a free nation, even a resource-poor one, long to become the dominant economic power.
Many people believe that free markets mean that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
In fact, just the opposite is true. Studies show that the more wealth a country creates, the more even its distribution of wealth. When regulations are less restrictive, the disadvantaged have a chance to create wealth without excessive start-up costs. They have great incentive to put in long, hard hours and undersell their competition to get business. Thus, a free society allows the disadvantaged to become middle-class market leaders quite rapidly.