The State of Freedom Around the World 🕊️

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.

Global Freedom Deteriorates for 19th Year in a Row

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

Strikingly, no less than 40 countries and territories holding elections experienced targeted attacks on candidates.

Among the bright spots were in Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Syria, which saw the greatest increases in freedom driven in part by political reform.