Ranked: The World’s Most and Least Free Countries

Which Countries Have the Most and Least Freedom?

Political freedom has been declining globally for more than a decade, raising questions about the strength of democratic institutions and individual rights, even in advanced economies.

This visualization ranks 171 countries using the Atlantic Council’s 2026 Freedom Index, which measures the freedom to participate in politics, own property, and live under fair and predictable laws. Scores reflect conditions in 2025.

Where Freedom Is Strongest

Luxembourg (91.8) and Sweden (91.5) follow Denmark at the top of the index. Just 3.6 points separate the world’s 10 freest countries, highlighting how closely clustered the leading nations are.

Rank	Country	Freedom Score (0-100)
1	Denmark	93.7
2	Luxembourg	91.8
3	Sweden	91.5
4	Finland	91.4
5	Switzerland	90.9
6	Ireland	90.6
7	Estonia	90.3
8	Australia	90.3
9	Germany	90.2
10	Norway	90.1
11	New Zealand	89.7
12	Netherlands	89.5
13	Iceland	88.4
14	Japan	88.0
15	Belgium	87.9
16	Czechia	87.3
17	France	87.0
18	Austria	86.8
19	Canada	85.9
20	UK	85.2
21	Taiwan	84.8
22	Spain	84.7
23	Latvia	84.4
24	Lithuania	84.3
25	South Korea	84.2

Several Asian economies have also moved up the rankings. South Korea climbed from 33rd to 25th, recovering some of the ground lost during its recent political crisis. Japan advanced from 18th to 14th.

Freedom also carries economic implications. According to Atlantic Council research, countries undergoing democratization see GDP per capita rise by 8.8% over 20 years, on average, relative to autocratic peers.

Where Freedom Is Most Restricted

Afghanistan ranks last with a score of 19.0, followed by Turkmenistan (24.3). Many of the lowest-ranked countries face longstanding authoritarian rule, conflict, or fragile institutions.

Rank	Country	Freedom Score (0-100)
171	Afghanistan	19.0
170	Turkmenistan	24.3
169	Eritrea	25.1
168	Yemen	27.5
167	Myanmar	28.2
166	Sudan	29.0
165	Syria	29.9
164	Venezuela	31.7
163	Iran	32.1
162	Somalia	34.3
161	Libya	34.7
160	Equatorial Guinea	35.1
159	Burundi	35.7
158	Eswatini	36.5
157	Belarus	37.1
156	Nicaragua	38.1
155	Chad	38.4
154	Russia	39.2
153	Central African Republic	39.9
152	Ethiopia	39.9
151	South Sudan	40.3
150	Tajikistan	40.5
149	DR Congo	41.2
148	Guinea	41.6
147	China	41.7

China ranks 147th globally, alongside Guinea and DR Congo, despite having the world’s second-largest economy. Its freedom score fell from 42.9 in 2024 to 41.7 in 2025, highlighting the contrast between its economic influence and restrictions on individual freedoms.

Russia ranks 154th, with its freedom score falling from 47.3 in 2019 to 39.2 in 2025. The 8.1-point decline reflects growing restrictions on political opposition, independent media, and public dissent, particularly since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

America’s Eroding Freedoms

The United States has a freedom score of 79.9, ranking behind Canada (19th), the UK (20th), and Japan (14th). Its decline from 22nd to 37th represents one of the largest annual drops in the index.

Other measures point to a longer-term trend. In 2025, America’s democracy score fell to its lowest level since 1965.

The U.S. decline illustrates how even established democracies can experience setbacks in political rights and institutional safeguards.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about this topic, explore this graphic showing which countries have the most academic freedom.

• Source: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/ranked-where-people-have-the-most-and-least-freedom/