Countries With the Largest Declines in Freedom (2014-2024)
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Key Takeaways
- Nicaragua tops the list, where the Ortega regime has shuttered over 57 media outlets, violently suppressed protests, and removed presidential term limits.
- In Tunisia, President Kaïs Saïed has eroded judicial independence and intensified repression of political opponents—leaving the country on the verge of economic collapse.
- El Salvador also ranks among the top three, as President Nayib Bukele faces criticism for mass arrests and corruption.
Over the past decade, freedom has sharply declined in many countries.
Authoritarian leaders have expanded their power by rewriting constitutions, silencing the media, and suppressing opposition. As democratic institutions erode, waves of protest have erupted—often met with brutal crackdowns across several global regions.
This graphic shows the nations with the sharpest drop in democratic freedoms since 2014, based on analysis from Freedom House.
Democratic Freedoms in Retreat
Here are the top 20 countries in the world where freedom has fallen the most based on 25 indicators across civil liberties and political rights:
| Country | Status | Decline in Score 2014-2024 |
2024 Score |
|---|---|---|---|
 Nicaragua |
Not Free | -40 | 14 |
 Tunisia |
Partly Free | -35 | 44 |
 El Salvador |
Partly Free | -28 | 47 |
 Tanzania |
Not Free | -28 | 35 |
 Niger |
Not Free | -26 | 30 |
 Hong Kong |
Partly Free | -25 | 40 |
 Serbia |
Partly Free | -24 | 56 |
 Türkiye |
Not Free | -22 | 33 |
 Venezuela |
Not Free | -22 | 13 |
 Benin |
Partly Free | -21 | 60 |
 Burkina Faso |
Not Free | -20 | 25 |
 Mali |
Not Free | -20 | 24 |
 Afghanistan |
Not Free | -18 | 6 |
 Myanmar |
Not Free | -18 | 7 |
 Burundi |
Not Free | -17 | 15 |
Notably, Nicaragua has seen democratic freedoms backslide as autocratic leader Daniel Ortega has overhauled the constitution. In particular, Ortega enabled his wife, Rosaria Murillo, to become co-president under law.
Meanwhile, Ortega can now prosecute media that oppose his views. Even more strikingly, any resident who is considered a traitor can have their citizenship revoked.
Following Nicaragua are Tunisia and El Salvador, each which have seen considerable declines in civil liberties. With 1,700 prisoners per 100,000 population, El Salvador has the highest incarceration rate in the world.
Serbia and Türkiye stand as the top two in Europe, with Serbia seeing protests, rigged elections, and the arrest of activists in a deteriorating political climate.
Learn More on the Voronoi App 
To learn more about this topic from a global perspective, check out this graphic on law and order around the world.
