List of freedom indices

This article contains a list of freedom indices produced by several non-governmental organizations that publish and maintain assessments of the state of freedom in the world, according to their own various definitions of the term, and rank countries as being free, partly free, or unfree using various measures of freedom, including civil liberties, political rights and economic rights.

Prominent indices

• Freedom in the World published each year since 1972 by the U.S.-based Freedom House ranks countries by political rights and civil liberties that are derived in large measure from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Countries are assessed as free, partly free, or unfree.^[1]
• Worldwide Press Freedom Index is published each year since 2002 (except that 2011 was combined with 2012) by France-based Reporters Without Borders. Countries are assessed as having a good situation, a satisfactory situation, noticeable problems, a difficult situation, or a very serious situation.^[2]
• Freedom of the Press published each year since 1980 by Freedom House.
• The Index of Freedom in the World is an index measuring classical civil liberties published by Canada's Fraser Institute, Germany's Liberales Institute, and the U.S. Cato Institute.^[3] It is not currently included in the table below.
• The CIRI Human Rights Data Project measures a range of human, civil, women's and workers rights.^[4] It is now hosted by the University of Connecticut. It was created in 1994.^[5] In its 2011 report, the U.S. was ranked 38th in overall human rights.^[6]
• The Democracy Index, published by the U.K.-based Economist Intelligence Unit, is an assessment of countries' democracy. Countries are rated to be either Full Democracies, Flawed Democracies, Hybrid Regimes, or Authoritarian regimes. Full democracies, flawed democracies, and hybrid regimes are considered to be democracies, and the authoritarian nations are considered to be dictatorial. The index is based on 60 indicators grouped in five different categories measuring pluralism, civil liberties, and political culture.^[7]
• The U.S.-based Polity data series is a widely used data series in political science research. It contains coded annual information on regime authority characteristics and transitions for all independent states with greater than 500,000 total population and covers the years 1800–2006. Polity's conclusions about a state's level of democracy are based on an evaluation of that state's elections for competitiveness, openness and level of participation. Data from this series is not currently included in the table below. The Polity work is sponsored by the Political Instability Task Force (PITF) which is funded by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. However, the views expressed in the reports are the authors' alone and do not represent the views of the US Government.
• The Index of Economic Freedom is an annual report published by The Wall Street Journal and the U.S.-based Heritage Foundation. Countries are assessed as free, mostly free, moderately free, mostly unfree, and repressed.^[8]
• The Economic Freedom of the World Index is a report published by Canada-based Fraser Institute in conjunction with the Economic Freedom Network, a group of independent research and educational institutes in 90 nations and territories worldwide. It is a numeric index and its results are not currently included in the table below.

• MaxRange, a dataset defining a country's level of democracy and institutional structure (regime-type) on a 1000-point graded scale. Values are sorted based on level of democracy and political accountability. MaxRange defines the value corresponding to all states every month from 1789 to the present. The dataset was developed by Max Rånge, and is maintained by Mikael Sandberg and Max Rånge, political scientists at Halmstad University, Sweden.^[9]

Annual assessments

Here is a table of the assessments in each index for most countries of the world. For exact rankings rather than assessments, refer to the individual index articles.

Country ratings from Freedom House's Freedom in the World 2016 survey, concerning the state of world freedom in 2015.^[10]   Free (86)   Partly Free (59)   Not Free (50)

2014 Index of Economic Freedom.^[8]
Source: Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street Journal

2014 Press Freedom Index.^[2]

Very serious situation   Difficult situation   Noticeable problems

Satisfactory situation   Good situation   Not classified / No data

Source: Reporters Without Borders

List by country

Country	Freedom in the World 2015[1]	2015 Index of Economic Freedom[8]	2015 Press Freedom Index[2]
Abkhazia	3 partly free	n/a	n/a
Afghanistan	5 not free	n/a	4 difficult situation
Albania	3 partly free	3 moderately free	3 noticeable problems
Algeria	5 not free	5 repressed	4 difficult situation
Andorra	1 free	n/a	1 good situation
Angola	5 not free	5 repressed	4 difficult situation
Anguilla	n/a	n/a	2 satisfactory situation
Antigua and Barbuda	1 free	n/a	2 satisfactory situation
Argentina	1 free	5 repressed	3 noticeable problems
Armenia	3 partly free	3 moderately free	3 noticeable problems
Australia	1 free	1 free	2 satisfactory situation
Austria	1 free	2 mostly free	1 good situation
Azerbaijan	5 not free	3 moderately free	5 very serious situation
Bahamas	1 free	3 moderately free	2 satisfactory situation
Bahrain	5 not free	3 moderately free	5 very serious situation
Bangladesh	3 partly free	3 moderately free	3 noticeable problems
Barbados	1 free	3 moderately free	2 satisfactory situation
Belarus	5 not free	5 repressed	4 difficult situation
Belgium	1 free	3 moderately free	1 good situation
Belize	1 free	4 mostly unfree	2 satisfactory situation
Benin	1 free	4 mostly unfree	3 noticeable problems
Bhutan	3 partly free	4 mostly unfree	3 noticeable problems
Bolivia	3 partly free	5 repressed	3 noticeable problems
Bosnia and Herzegovina	3 partly free	4 mostly unfree	3 noticeable problems
Botswana	1 free	3 moderately free	2 satisfactory situation
Brazil	1 free	4 mostly unfree	3 noticeable problems
British Virgin Islands	n/a	n/a	2 satisfactory situation
Brunei	5 not free	3 moderately free	4 difficult situation
Bulgaria	1 free	3 moderately free	3 noticeable problems
Burkina Faso	3 partly free	4 mostly unfree	2 satisfactory situation
Burma	5 not free	5 repressed	4 difficult situation
Burundi	5 not free	4 mostly unfree	4 difficult situation
Cambodia	5 not free	4 mostly unfree	4 difficult situation
Cameroon	5 not free	4 mostly unfree	4 difficult situation
Canada	1 free	1 mostly free	1 good situation
Cape Verde	1 free	3 moderately free	2 satisfactory situation
Central African Republic	5 not free	5 repressed	3 noticeable problems
Chad	5 not free	5 repressed	4 difficult situation
Chile	1 free	2 mostly free	2 satisfactory situation
China	5 not free	4 mostly unfree	5 very serious situation
Colombia	3 partly free	2 mostly free	4 difficult situation
Comoros	3 partly free	4 mostly unfree	2 satisfactory situation
Costa Rica	1 free	3 moderately free	1 good situation
Congo, Democratic Republic of the	5 not free	5 repressed	4 difficult situation
Congo, Republic of the	5 not free	5 repressed	3 noticeable problems
Croatia	1 free	3 moderately free	3 noticeable problems
Cuba	5 not free	5 repressed	5 very serious situation
Cyprus	1 free	3 moderately free	2 satisfactory situation
Czech Republic	1 free	2 mostly free	1 good situation
Denmark	1 free	2 mostly free	1 good situation
Djibouti	5 not free	4 mostly unfree	5 very serious situation
Dominica	1 free	3 moderately free	2 satisfactory situation
Dominican Republic	1 free	3 moderately free	3 noticeable problems
East Timor	3 partly free	5 repressed	3 noticeable problems
Ecuador	3 partly free	5 repressed	3 noticeable problems
Egypt	5 not free	4 mostly unfree	4 difficult situation
El Salvador	1 free	3 moderately free	2 satisfactory situation
Equatorial Guinea	5 not free	5 repressed	5 very serious situation
Eritrea	5 not free	5 repressed	5 very serious situation
Estonia	1 free	2 mostly free	1 good situation
Ethiopia	5 not free	4 mostly unfree	4 difficult situation
Fiji	3 partly free	4 mostly unfree	3 noticeable problems
Finland	1 free	2 mostly free	1 good situation
France	1 free	3 moderately free	2 satisfactory situation
French Guiana	1 free	3 moderately free	2 satisfactory situation
Gabon	5 not free	4 mostly unfree	3 noticeable problems
Gambia	5 not free	4 mostly unfree	4 difficult situation
Gaza Strip	5 not free	n/a	4 difficult situation
Georgia	3 partly free	2 mostly free	3 noticeable problems
Germany	1 free	2 mostly free	1 good situation
Ghana	1 free	3 moderately free	2 satisfactory situation
Greece	1 free	4 mostly unfree	3 noticeable problems
Grenada	1 free	n/a	2 satisfactory situation
Guatemala	3 partly free	3 moderately free	4 difficult situation
Guinea	3 partly free	4 mostly unfree	3 noticeable problems
Guinea-Bissau	3 partly free	4 mostly unfree	3 noticeable problems
Guyana	1 free	4 mostly unfree	3 noticeable problems
Haiti	3 partly free	4 mostly unfree	3 noticeable problems
Honduras	3 partly free	4 mostly unfree	4 difficult situation
Hong Kong	3 partly free	1 free	3 noticeable problems
Hungary	1 free	3 moderately free	3 noticeable problems
Iceland	1 free	2 mostly free	1 good situation
India	1 free	4 mostly unfree	2 satisfactory situation
Indonesia	3 partly free	4 mostly unfree	4 difficult situation
Iran	5 not free	5 repressed	5 very serious situation
Iraq	5 not free	n/a	4 difficult situation
Ireland	1 free	2 mostly free	1 good situation
Israel	1 free	2 mostly free	3 noticeable problems
Italy	1 free	3 moderately free	3 noticeable problems
Ivory Coast	3 partly free	4 mostly unfree	3 noticeable problems
Jamaica	1 free	3 moderately free	1 good situation
Japan	1 free	2 mostly free	3 noticeable problems
Jordan	5 not free	3 moderately free	4 difficult situation
Kazakhstan	5 not free	3 moderately free	4 difficult situation
Kenya	3 partly free	4 mostly unfree	3 noticeable problems
Kiribati	1 free	5 repressed	2 satisfactory situation
Korea, North	5 not free	5 repressed	5 very serious situation
Korea, South	1 free	2 mostly free	3 noticeable problems
Kosovo	3 partly free	n/a	3 noticeable problems
Kuwait	3 partly free	3 moderately free	3 noticeable problems
Kyrgyzstan	3 partly free	3 moderately free	3 noticeable problems
Laos	5 not free	4 mostly unfree	5 very serious situation
Latvia	1 free	3 moderately free	2 satisfactory situation
Lebanon	3 partly free	4 mostly unfree	3 noticeable problems
Lesotho	1 free	5 repressed	3 noticeable problems
Liberia	3 partly free	4 mostly unfree	3 noticeable problems
Libya	5 not free	n/a	4 difficult situation
Liechtenstein	1 free	n/a	1 good situation
Lithuania	1 free	2 mostly free	2 satisfactory situation
Luxembourg	1 free	2 mostly free	1 good situation
Macau	n/a	2 mostly free	3 noticeable problems
Macedonia	3 partly free	3 moderately free	4 difficult situation
Madagascar	3 partly free	3 moderately free	3 noticeable problems
Malawi	3 partly free	4 mostly unfree	3 noticeable problems
Malaysia	3 partly free	2 mostly free	4 difficult situation
Maldives	3 partly free	4 mostly unfree	3 noticeable problems
Mali	3 partly free	4 mostly unfree	4 difficult situation
Malta	1 free	3 moderately free	2 satisfactory situation
Marshall Islands	1 free	n/a	2 satisfactory situation
Mauritania	5 not free	4 mostly unfree	3 noticeable problems
Mauritius	1 free	2 mostly free	3 noticeable problems
Mexico	3 partly free	3 moderately free	4 difficult situation
Micronesia, Federated States of	1 free	5 repressed	2 satisfactory situation
Moldova	3 partly free	4 mostly unfree	3 noticeable problems
Monaco	1 free	n/a	2 satisfactory situation
Mongolia	1 free	4 mostly unfree	3 noticeable problems
Montserrat	n/a	n/a	2 satisfactory situation
Montenegro	1 free	3 moderately free	4 difficult situation
Morocco	3 partly free	3 moderately free	4 difficult situation
Mozambique	3 partly free	4 mostly unfree	3 noticeable problems
Nagorno-Karabakh	3 partly free	n/a	n/a
Namibia	1 free	4 mostly unfree	1 good situation
Nauru	1 free	n/a	2 satisfactory situation
Nepal	3 partly free	4 mostly unfree	3 noticeable problems
Netherlands	1 free	2 mostly free	1 good situation
New Caledonia	n/a	n/a	1 good situation
New Zealand	1 free	1 free	1 good situation
Nicaragua	3 partly free	4 mostly unfree	3 noticeable problems
Niger	3 partly free	4 mostly unfree	2 satisfactory situation
Nigeria	3 partly free	4 mostly unfree	4 difficult situation
Northern Cyprus	1 free	n/a	3 noticeable problems
Norway	1 free	2 mostly free	1 good situation
Oman	5 not free	3 moderately free	4 difficult situation
Pakistan	3 partly free	4 mostly unfree	4 difficult situation
Palau	1 free	n/a	2 satisfactory situation
Palestine	5 not free	n/a	4 difficult situation
Panama	1 free	3 moderately free	3 noticeable problems
Papua New Guinea	3 partly free	4 mostly unfree	3 noticeable problems
Paraguay	3 partly free	3 moderately free	3 noticeable problems
Peru	1 free	3 moderately free	3 noticeable problems
Philippines	3 partly free	3 moderately free	4 difficult situation
Poland	1 free	3 moderately free	1 good situation
Portugal	1 free	3 moderately free	2 satisfactory situation
Puerto Rico	1 free	n/a	2 satisfactory situation
Qatar	5 not free	2 mostly free	3 noticeable problems
Romania	1 free	3 moderately free	2 satisfactory situation
Russia	5 not free	4 mostly unfree	4 difficult situation
Rwanda	5 not free	3 moderately free	5 very serious situation
Saint Kitts and Nevis	1 free	n/a	2 satisfactory situation
Saint Lucia	1 free	2 mostly free	2 satisfactory situation
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	1 free	3 moderately free	2 satisfactory situation
Samoa	1 free	3 moderately free	2 satisfactory situation
San Marino	1 free	n/a	2 satisfactory situation
São Tomé and Príncipe	1 free	5 repressed	2 satisfactory situation
Saudi Arabia	5 not free	3 moderately free	5 very serious situation
Senegal	1 free	4 mostly unfree	3 noticeable problems
Serbia	1 free	3 moderately free	3 noticeable problems
Seychelles	3 partly free	4 mostly unfree	3 noticeable problems
Sierra Leone	3 partly free	4 mostly unfree	3 noticeable problems
Singapore	3 partly free	1 free	4 difficult situation
Slovakia	1 free	3 moderately free	1 good situation
Slovenia	1 free	3 moderately free	2 satisfactory situation
Solomon Islands	3 partly free	5 repressed	1 good situation
Somalia	5 not free	5 repressed	5 very serious situation
Somaliland	3 partly free	n/a	n/a
South Africa	1 free	3 moderately free	2 satisfactory situation
South Ossetia	5 not free	n/a	n/a
South Sudan	5 not free	n/a	4 difficult situation
Spain	1 free	3 moderately free	2 satisfactory situation
Sri Lanka	3 partly free	4 mostly unfree	5 very serious situation
Sudan	5 not free	5 repressed	5 very serious situation
Suriname	1 free	4 mostly unfree	2 satisfactory situation
Swaziland	5 not free	4 mostly unfree	4 difficult situation
Sweden	1 free	2 mostly free	1 good situation
Switzerland	1 free	1 free	1 good situation
Syria	5 not free	5 repressed	5 very serious situation
Taiwan	1 free	2 mostly free	2 satisfactory situation
Tajikistan	5 not free	4 mostly unfree	4 difficult situation
Tanzania	3 partly free	4 mostly unfree	3 noticeable problems
Thailand	5 not free	3 moderately free	4 difficult situation
Tibet	5 not free	n/a	n/a
Togo	3 partly free	5 repressed	3 noticeable problems
Tonga	1 free	4 mostly unfree	3 noticeable problems
Transnistria	5 not free	n/a	n/a
Trinidad and Tobago	1 free	3 moderately free	2 satisfactory situation
Tunisia	1 free	4 mostly unfree	4 difficult situation
Turkey	3 partly free	3 moderately free	4 difficult situation
Turkmenistan	5 not free	5 repressed	5 very serious situation
Tuvalu	1 free	n/a	2 satisfactory situation
Uganda	5 not free	4 mostly unfree	3 noticeable problems
Ukraine	3 partly free	5 repressed	4 difficult situation
United Arab Emirates	5 not free	2 mostly free	4 difficult situation
United Kingdom	1 free	2 mostly free	2 satisfactory situation
United States	1 free	2 mostly free	2 satisfactory situation
Uruguay	1 free	3 moderately free	2 satisfactory situation
Uzbekistan	5 not free	5 repressed	5 very serious situation
Vanuatu	1 free	3 moderately free	1 good situation
Venezuela	3 partly free	5 repressed	4 difficult situation
Vietnam	5 not free	4 mostly unfree	5 very serious situation
West Bank	5 not free	n/a	4 difficult situation
Western Sahara	5 not free	n/a	4 difficult situation
Yemen	5 not free	4 mostly unfree	5 very serious situation
Zambia	3 partly free	4 mostly unfree	3 noticeable problems
Zimbabwe	5 not free	5 repressed	4 difficult situation

See also

• Areopagitica: A speech of Mr John Milton for the liberty of unlicensed printing to the Parliament of England
• Censorship by country
• Freedom House
• Freedom in the World
• Indices of economic freedom
• Internet censorship by country
• Media transparency
• Transparency (humanities)
• Transparency (market)
• United Nations Parliamentary Assembly

Notes and references

External links

• Freedom House's Freedom in the World
• The Wall Street Journal's Index of Economic Freedom
• The Fraser Institute's Economic Freedom of the World
• Internationale Medienhilfe (IMH) - International organization for press freedom (German)

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