Freest Countries

Last updated September 18, 2024

Human Freedom Index
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Last
Human Freedom IndexQuestion Mark
1.SwitzerlandSwitzerland9.11
2.New ZealandNew Zealand9.01
3.DenmarkDenmark8.98
4.EstoniaEstonia8.91
5.IrelandIreland8.90
6.CanadaCanada8.85
7.FinlandFinland8.85
8.AustraliaAustralia8.84
9.SwedenSweden8.83
10.LuxembourgLuxembourg8.80
11.NetherlandsNetherlands8.78
12.IcelandIceland8.77
13.NorwayNorway8.76
14.United KingdomUnited Kingdom8.75
15.United StatesUnited States8.73
16.JapanJapan8.73
17.GermanyGermany8.73
18.PortugalPortugal8.69
19.TaiwanTaiwan8.68
20.LithuaniaLithuania8.68
21.AustriaAustria8.67
22.LatviaLatvia8.67
23.BelgiumBelgium8.61
24.Czech RepublicCzech Republic8.61
25.SpainSpain8.56
26.ItalyItaly8.49
27.MaltaMalta8.45
28.ChileChile8.44
29.CyprusCyprus8.42
30.Hong KongHong Kong8.41
31.South KoreaSouth Korea8.39
32.SloveniaSlovenia8.37
33.UruguayUruguay8.36
34.FranceFrance8.34
35.RomaniaRomania8.33
36.Costa RicaCosta Rica8.25
37.BahamasBahamas8.22
38.SlovakiaSlovakia8.21
39.GeorgiaGeorgia8.20
40.ArmeniaArmenia8.20
41.CroatiaCroatia8.16
42.AlbaniaAlbania8.14
43.PanamaPanama8.12
44.BulgariaBulgaria8.08
45.MauritiusMauritius8.07
46.MongoliaMongolia8.00
47.SingaporeSingapore7.98
48.PolandPoland7.96
49.PeruPeru7.93
50.BarbadosBarbados7.92
51.JamaicaJamaica7.91
52.BotswanaBotswana7.90
53.Dominican RepublicDominican Republic7.88
54.MontenegroMontenegro7.88
55.GreeceGreece7.86
56.SeychellesSeychelles7.84
57.North MacedoniaNorth Macedonia7.75
58.HungaryHungary7.73
59.Trinidad and TobagoTrinidad and Tobago7.70
60.MoldovaMoldova7.68
61.IsraelIsrael7.66
62.SurinameSuriname7.64
63.BelizeBelize7.64
64.GuatemalaGuatemala7.63
65.NamibiaNamibia7.56
66.SerbiaSerbia7.54
67.ParaguayParaguay7.54
68.Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina7.54
69.GhanaGhana7.49
70.GuyanaGuyana7.49
71.EcuadorEcuador7.43
72.El SalvadorEl Salvador7.39
73.ArgentinaArgentina7.38
74.FijiFiji7.36
75.BeninBenin7.32
76.South AfricaSouth Africa7.30
77.BrazilBrazil7.22
78.Timor LesteTimor Leste7.22
79.HaitiHaiti7.21
80.KyrgyzstanKyrgyzstan7.18
81.MalaysiaMalaysia7.17
82.Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea7.17
83.NepalNepal7.12
84.IndonesiaIndonesia7.10
85.HondurasHonduras7.09
86.SenegalSenegal7.07
87.MadagascarMadagascar7.02
88.ColombiaColombia7.01
89.LesothoLesotho7.01
90.MalawiMalawi6.99
91.BoliviaBolivia6.94
92.MexicoMexico6.92
93.JordanJordan6.91
94.Ivory CoastIvory Coast6.90
95.ThailandThailand6.89
96.GambiaGambia6.88
97.UkraineUkraine6.86
98.BhutanBhutan6.86
99.Burkina FasoBurkina Faso6.85
100.PhilippinesPhilippines6.83
101.ZambiaZambia6.82
102.LiberiaLiberia6.81
103.MozambiqueMozambique6.80
104.GabonGabon6.80
105.KazakhstanKazakhstan6.77
106.LebanonLebanon6.76
107.KenyaKenya6.73
108.BelarusBelarus6.73
109.Sierra LeoneSierra Leone6.70
110.Sri LankaSri Lanka6.58
111.TogoTogo6.50
112.TanzaniaTanzania6.48
113.CambodiaCambodia6.47
114.TunisiaTunisia6.46
115.BruneiBrunei6.46
116.NigerNiger6.41
117.IndiaIndia6.39
118.RwandaRwanda6.36
119.KuwaitKuwait6.34
120.UgandaUganda6.32
121.NigeriaNigeria6.28
122.MaliMali6.25
123.NicaraguaNicaragua6.24
124.RussiaRussia6.23
125.AzerbaijanAzerbaijan6.16
126.QatarQatar6.15
127.AngolaAngola6.09
128.ComorosComoros6.07
129.United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab Emirates6.06
130.EthiopiaEthiopia5.95
131.OmanOman5.92
132.VietnamVietnam5.90
133.MoroccoMorocco5.90
134.LaosLaos5.85
135.DjiboutiDjibouti5.84
136.GuineaGuinea5.82
137.TurkeyTurkey5.79
138.EswatiniEswatini5.79
139.MyanmarMyanmar5.78
140.BangladeshBangladesh5.75
141.MauritaniaMauritania5.73
142.BahrainBahrain5.73
143.PakistanPakistan5.63
144.CameroonCameroon5.63
145.DR CongoDR Congo5.62
146.Central African RepublicCentral African Republic5.62
147.ZimbabweZimbabwe5.60
148.ChinaChina5.57
149.ChadChad5.57
150.Republic of the CongoRepublic of the Congo5.55
151.TajikistanTajikistan5.52
152.AlgeriaAlgeria5.26
153.Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia5.12
154.LibyaLibya5.05
155.IraqIraq5.02
156.BurundiBurundi5.02
157.SomaliaSomalia4.93
158.IranIran4.53
159.EgyptEgypt4.49
160.SudanSudan4.48
161.YemenYemen4.08
162.VenezuelaVenezuela4.03
163.SyriaSyria3.66

Freedom Around the World

Freedom is an integral, yet often overlooked aspect of our daily lives. It shapes our lives, cultures, economies, and even our happiness. But the extent of personal and economic freedom varies greatly around the world, reflecting differences in political ideologies, legal systems, and cultural attitudes. The Human Freedom Index, a measure provided by the Cato Institute and Fraser Institute, provides an annual assessment of the state of human freedom in the world, ranking 162 countries across various areas such as the rule of law, security, freedom of expression, and economic freedom. Key findings from the recent Human Freedom Index include:

  • Switzerland, famed for its strict neutrality and robust legal system, topped the Human Freedom Index with a score of 9.11, demonstrating high standards of both personal and economic freedom.
  • The United States – traditionally seen as the "land of the free" – ranked 15th on the list, with a score of 8.73, suggesting room for improvement, especially in the areas of personal safety, legal system and property rights.
  • Noticeably, many countries with high rankings were small to medium-sized Western democracies such as New Zealand, Ireland, Denmark, Canada, and Australia. These countries commonly share key characteristics such as robust democratic institutions, respect for civil liberties and the rule of law.
  • At the other end of spectrum, conflict afflicted nations such as Yemen, Sudan, Venezuela and Syria demonstrated the lowest levels of human freedom, reflecting the impact of war, authoritarian regimes, and political instability.
  • China, the world's most populous country, scored fairly low at 5.57 reflecting limitations on personal freedom, tightly controlled media, and lack of political rights.

Top 10 Most Free Countries

Topping the latest rankings is Switzerland, solidifying its position as the most free country in the world. With a Human Freedom Index score of 9.11, this relatively small nation demonstrates a profound commitment to the preservation of both personal and economic freedoms. Following closely behind, New Zealand ranks second with a score of 9.01. This island nation in the Pacific is distinguished by its strong democratic principles, widespread civil liberties, and a deep respect for the rule of law. Cracking the top three, Denmark comes in with a freedom score of 8.98. Known for its high standards of living and efficient social security system. Estonia ranks fourth with a score of 8.91 on the Human Freedom Index. Despite its tumultuous history, the Baltic nation has made large strides in securing personal freedoms and operating a transparent government. The Republic of Ireland, with a score of 8.90, occupies the fifth spot. The North American giant, Canada, ranked sixth on this list with a score of 8.85. Finland, another Nordic nation known for its comprehensive welfare state and promotion of civil liberties, shares the same score as Canada, sitting jointly at sixth place. Australia ranks eighth with a score of 8.84. As a thriving democratic state, Australia maintains strong protections for civil liberties and has a vibrant culture of freedom. Sweden almost mirrors Australia with a score of 8.83, securing it the ninth spot on the list. Like other Scandinavian countries, Sweden emphasizes individual freedoms and upholds democratic values. Finally, Luxembourg, with its score of 8.80, completes the top 10. Despite its small size, Luxembourg showcases a strong commitment to personal and economic freedom. 10 Most Free Countries are:

  1. Switzerland - 9.11
  2. New Zealand - 9.01
  3. Denmark - 8.98
  4. Estonia - 8.91
  5. Ireland - 8.90
  6. Canada - 8.85
  7. Finland - 8.85
  8. Australia - 8.84
  9. Sweden - 8.83
  10. Luxembourg - 8.80

By Region

Albania

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Ranked in World

#42

Algeria

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Ranked in World

#152

Angola

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Ranked in World

#127

Argentina

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Ranked in World

#73

Armenia

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Ranked in World

#40

Australia

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Ranked in World

#8

Austria

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Ranked in World

#21

Azerbaijan

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Ranked in World

#125

Bahamas

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Ranked in World

#37

Bahrain

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Ranked in World

#142

Bangladesh

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Ranked in World

#140

Barbados

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Ranked in World

#50

Belarus

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Ranked in World

#108

Belgium

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Ranked in World

#23

Belize

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Ranked in World

#63

Benin

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Ranked in World

#75

Bhutan

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Ranked in World

#98

Bolivia

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Ranked in World

#91

Bosnia and Herzegovina

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Ranked in World

#68

Botswana

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Ranked in World

#52

Brazil

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Ranked in World

#77

Brunei

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Ranked in World

#115

Bulgaria

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Ranked in World

#44

Burkina Faso

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Ranked in World

#99

Burundi

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Ranked in World

#156

Cambodia

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Ranked in World

#113

Cameroon

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Ranked in World

#144

Canada

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Ranked in World

#6

Central African Republic

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Ranked in World

#146

Chad

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Ranked in World

#149

Chile

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Ranked in World

#28

China

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Ranked in World

#148

Colombia

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Ranked in World

#88

Comoros

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Ranked in World

#128

Costa Rica

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Ranked in World

#36

Croatia

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Ranked in World

#41

Cyprus

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Ranked in World

#29

Czech Republic

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Ranked in World

#24

DR Congo

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Ranked in World

#145

Denmark

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Ranked in World

#3

Djibouti

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Ranked in World

#135

Dominican Republic

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Ranked in World

#53

Ecuador

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Ranked in World

#71

Egypt

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Ranked in World

#159

El Salvador

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Ranked in World

#72

Estonia

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Ranked in World

#4

Eswatini

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Ranked in World

#138

Ethiopia

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Ranked in World

#130

Fiji

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Ranked in World

#74

Finland

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Ranked in World

#7

France

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Ranked in World

#34

Gabon

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Ranked in World

#104

Gambia

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Ranked in World

#96

Georgia

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Ranked in World

#39

Germany

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Ranked in World

#17

Ghana

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Ranked in World

#69

Greece

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Ranked in World

#55

Guatemala

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Ranked in World

#64

Guinea

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Ranked in World

#136

Guyana

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Ranked in World

#70

Haiti

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Ranked in World

#79

Honduras

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Ranked in World

#85

Hong Kong

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Ranked in World

#30

Hungary

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Ranked in World

#58

Iceland

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Ranked in World

#12

India

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Ranked in World

#117

Indonesia

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Ranked in World

#84

Iran

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Ranked in World

#158

Iraq

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Ranked in World

#155

Ireland

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Ranked in World

#5

Israel

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Ranked in World

#61

Italy

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Ranked in World

#26

Ivory Coast

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Ranked in World

#94

Jamaica

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Ranked in World

#51

Japan

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Ranked in World

#16

Jordan

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Ranked in World

#93

Kazakhstan

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Ranked in World

#105

Kenya

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Ranked in World

#107

Kuwait

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Ranked in World

#119

Kyrgyzstan

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Ranked in World

#80

Laos

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Ranked in World

#134

Latvia

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Ranked in World

#22

Lebanon

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Ranked in World

#106

Lesotho

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Ranked in World

#89

Liberia

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Ranked in World

#102

Libya

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Ranked in World

#154

Lithuania

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Ranked in World

#20

Luxembourg

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Ranked in World

#10

Madagascar

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Ranked in World

#87

Malawi

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Ranked in World

#90

Malaysia

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Ranked in World

#81

Mali

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Ranked in World

#122

Malta

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Ranked in World

#27

Mauritania

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Ranked in World

#141

Mauritius

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Ranked in World

#45

Mexico

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Ranked in World

#92

Moldova

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Ranked in World

#60

Mongolia

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Ranked in World

#46

Montenegro

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Ranked in World

#54

Morocco

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Ranked in World

#133

Mozambique

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Ranked in World

#103

Myanmar

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Ranked in World

#139

Namibia

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Ranked in World

#65

Nepal

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Ranked in World

#83

Netherlands

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Ranked in World

#11

New Zealand

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Ranked in World

#2

Nicaragua

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Ranked in World

#123

Niger

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Ranked in World

#116

Nigeria

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Ranked in World

#121

North Macedonia

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Ranked in World

#57

Norway

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Ranked in World

#13

Oman

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Ranked in World

#131

Pakistan

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Ranked in World

#143

Panama

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Ranked in World

#43

Papua New Guinea

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Ranked in World

#82

Paraguay

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Ranked in World

#67

Peru

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Ranked in World

#49

Philippines

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Ranked in World

#100

Poland

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Ranked in World

#48

Portugal

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Ranked in World

#18

Qatar

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Ranked in World

#126

Republic of the Congo

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Ranked in World

#150

Romania

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Ranked in World

#35

Russia

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Ranked in World

#124

Rwanda

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Ranked in World

#118

Saudi Arabia

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Ranked in World

#153

Senegal

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Ranked in World

#86

Serbia

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Ranked in World

#66

Seychelles

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Ranked in World

#56

Sierra Leone

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Ranked in World

#109

Singapore

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Ranked in World

#47

Slovakia

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Ranked in World

#38

Slovenia

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Ranked in World

#32

Somalia

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Ranked in World

#157

South Africa

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Ranked in World

#76

South Korea

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Ranked in World

#31

Spain

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Ranked in World

#25

Sri Lanka

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Ranked in World

#110

Sudan

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Ranked in World

#160

Suriname

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Ranked in World

#62

Sweden

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Ranked in World

#9

Switzerland

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Ranked in World

#1

Syria

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Ranked in World

#163

Taiwan

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Ranked in World

#19

Tajikistan

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Ranked in World

#151

Tanzania

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Ranked in World

#112

Thailand

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Ranked in World

#95

Timor Leste

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Ranked in World

#78

Togo

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Ranked in World

#111

Trinidad and Tobago

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Ranked in World

#59

Tunisia

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Ranked in World

#114

Turkey

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Ranked in World

#137

Uganda

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Ranked in World

#120

Ukraine

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Ranked in World

#97

United Arab Emirates

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Ranked in World

#129

United Kingdom

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Ranked in World

#14

United States

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Ranked in World

#15

Uruguay

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Ranked in World

#33

Venezuela

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Ranked in World

#162

Vietnam

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Ranked in World

#132

Yemen

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Ranked in World

#161

Zambia

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Ranked in World

#101

Zimbabwe

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Ranked in World

#147

Table

Region ↕Human Freedom Index↕
Albania iconAlbania8.14
Algeria iconAlgeria5.26
Angola iconAngola6.09
Argentina iconArgentina7.38
Armenia iconArmenia8.20
Australia iconAustralia8.84
Austria iconAustria8.67
Azerbaijan iconAzerbaijan6.16
Bahamas iconBahamas8.22
Bahrain iconBahrain5.73
Bangladesh iconBangladesh5.75
Barbados iconBarbados7.92
Belarus iconBelarus6.73
Belgium iconBelgium8.61
Belize iconBelize7.64
Benin iconBenin7.32
Bhutan iconBhutan6.86
Bolivia iconBolivia6.94
Bosnia and Herzegovina iconBosnia and Herzegovina7.54
Botswana iconBotswana7.90
Brazil iconBrazil7.22
Brunei iconBrunei6.46
Bulgaria iconBulgaria8.08
Burkina Faso iconBurkina Faso6.85
Burundi iconBurundi5.02
Cambodia iconCambodia6.47
Cameroon iconCameroon5.63
Canada iconCanada8.85
Central African Republic iconCentral African Republic5.62
Chad iconChad5.57
Chile iconChile8.44
China iconChina5.57
Colombia iconColombia7.01
Comoros iconComoros6.07
Costa Rica iconCosta Rica8.25
Croatia iconCroatia8.16
Cyprus iconCyprus8.42
Czech Republic iconCzech Republic8.61
DR Congo iconDR Congo5.62
Denmark iconDenmark8.98
Djibouti iconDjibouti5.84
Dominican Republic iconDominican Republic7.88
Ecuador iconEcuador7.43
Egypt iconEgypt4.49
El Salvador iconEl Salvador7.39
Estonia iconEstonia8.91
Eswatini iconEswatini5.79
Ethiopia iconEthiopia5.95
Fiji iconFiji7.36
Finland iconFinland8.85
France iconFrance8.34
Gabon iconGabon6.80
Gambia iconGambia6.88
Georgia iconGeorgia8.20
Germany iconGermany8.73
Ghana iconGhana7.49
Greece iconGreece7.86
Guatemala iconGuatemala7.63
Guinea iconGuinea5.82
Guyana iconGuyana7.49
Haiti iconHaiti7.21
Honduras iconHonduras7.09
Hong Kong iconHong Kong8.41
Hungary iconHungary7.73
Iceland iconIceland8.77
India iconIndia6.39
Indonesia iconIndonesia7.10
Iran iconIran4.53
Iraq iconIraq5.02
Ireland iconIreland8.90
Israel iconIsrael7.66
Italy iconItaly8.49
Ivory Coast iconIvory Coast6.90
Jamaica iconJamaica7.91
Japan iconJapan8.73
Jordan iconJordan6.91
Kazakhstan iconKazakhstan6.77
Kenya iconKenya6.73
Kuwait iconKuwait6.34
Kyrgyzstan iconKyrgyzstan7.18
Laos iconLaos5.85
Latvia iconLatvia8.67
Lebanon iconLebanon6.76
Lesotho iconLesotho7.01
Liberia iconLiberia6.81
Libya iconLibya5.05
Lithuania iconLithuania8.68
Luxembourg iconLuxembourg8.80
Madagascar iconMadagascar7.02
Malawi iconMalawi6.99
Malaysia iconMalaysia7.17
Mali iconMali6.25
Malta iconMalta8.45
Mauritania iconMauritania5.73
Mauritius iconMauritius8.07
Mexico iconMexico6.92
Moldova iconMoldova7.68
Mongolia iconMongolia8.00
Montenegro iconMontenegro7.88
Morocco iconMorocco5.90
Mozambique iconMozambique6.80
Myanmar iconMyanmar5.78
Namibia iconNamibia7.56
Nepal iconNepal7.12
Netherlands iconNetherlands8.78
New Zealand iconNew Zealand9.01
Nicaragua iconNicaragua6.24
Niger iconNiger6.41
Nigeria iconNigeria6.28
North Macedonia iconNorth Macedonia7.75
Norway iconNorway8.76
Oman iconOman5.92
Pakistan iconPakistan5.63
Panama iconPanama8.12
Papua New Guinea iconPapua New Guinea7.17
Paraguay iconParaguay7.54
Peru iconPeru7.93
Philippines iconPhilippines6.83
Poland iconPoland7.96
Portugal iconPortugal8.69
Qatar iconQatar6.15
Republic of the Congo iconRepublic of the Congo5.55
Romania iconRomania8.33
Russia iconRussia6.23
Rwanda iconRwanda6.36
Saudi Arabia iconSaudi Arabia5.12
Senegal iconSenegal7.07
Serbia iconSerbia7.54
Seychelles iconSeychelles7.84
Sierra Leone iconSierra Leone6.70
Singapore iconSingapore7.98
Slovakia iconSlovakia8.21
Slovenia iconSlovenia8.37
Somalia iconSomalia4.93
South Africa iconSouth Africa7.30
South Korea iconSouth Korea8.39
Spain iconSpain8.56
Sri Lanka iconSri Lanka6.58
Sudan iconSudan4.48
Suriname iconSuriname7.64
Sweden iconSweden8.83
Switzerland iconSwitzerland9.11
Syria iconSyria3.66
Taiwan iconTaiwan8.68
Tajikistan iconTajikistan5.52
Tanzania iconTanzania6.48
Thailand iconThailand6.89
Timor Leste iconTimor Leste7.22
Togo iconTogo6.50
Trinidad and Tobago iconTrinidad and Tobago7.70
Tunisia iconTunisia6.46
Turkey iconTurkey5.79
Uganda iconUganda6.32
Ukraine iconUkraine6.86
United Arab Emirates iconUnited Arab Emirates6.06
United Kingdom iconUnited Kingdom8.75
United States iconUnited States8.73
Uruguay iconUruguay8.36
Venezuela iconVenezuela4.03
Vietnam iconVietnam5.90
Yemen iconYemen4.08
Zambia iconZambia6.82
Zimbabwe iconZimbabwe5.60
Keep reading

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