Mapped: The State of Freedom Around the World in 2025

Finland has the highest state of freedom globally, supported by its robust political rights, strong multiparty system, and independent judiciary.

Etienne Note: The USA isn’t even in the top 40! And dropping! Even under a flawed scale… The data from Freedom House ranked the Scandinavian countries as having the highest “freedom” even with confiscatory taxation rates! Tell me more about this “freedom” of which you speak…

By Dorothy Neufeld Graphics/Design: Amy Realey

The State of Freedom Around the World in 2025

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Key Takeaways

• Finland has the highest state of freedom globally, supported by its robust political rights, strong multiparty system, and independent judiciary.

• Today, 53 countries are considered more free than the U.S. as the erosion of its democratic institutions have contributed to its declining score.

• The Gaza Strip, South Sudan, and the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine have among the lowest scores of freedom worldwide across an analysis of 195 countries and 13 territories by Freedom House.

In 2024, 60 countries saw their freedom decline in a historic election year.

Strikingly, 40% of countries and territories that held elections experienced targeted attacks on candidates amid heightened instability. Yet bright spots were seen in Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Syria, driven by political reform.

This graphic shows the state of freedom by country, based on data from Freedom House.

Global Freedom Continues to Deteriorate

For the 19th year in a row, the state of freedom declined globally.

In particular, freedom declined the most in 2024 for El Salvador, Haiti, and Kuwait. In absolute terms, the Gaza Strip and the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine have among the lowest scores of freedom amid ongoing, violent conflict.

Finland ranks highest globally, supported by a multiparty system that mitigates voter polarization.

Following behind are New Zealand, Norway, and Sweden—each with populations under six million. Notably, only two countries in the top 10 have medium-sized populations: the Netherlands (18 million) and Canada (39 million).

When it comes to the U.S., freedom continued to erode in 2024. In recent years, institutional trust has plunged to near record lows. Political polarization has deepened alongside growing income inequality, further weakening public confidence.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh recorded one of the biggest gains. In 2024, mass protests ousted Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year regime. Under interim leader and Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, reforms aimed at curbing corruption and expanding welfare are now underway.

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