Freedom-in-the-World country list 2019
free · partly free unfree
The international non-governmental organization Freedom House , based in Washington, DC , publishes an annual report Freedom in the World , which reports on civil liberties in the countries of the world. The Freedom-in-the-World 2019 country list is reproduced below . This summarizes the situation in 2018.
In 2018, 86 countries could be described as “free” according to the World Freedom House: 2.9 billion people (39% of the world's population ). 59 countries were “partially free” (1.8 billion inhabitants: 24%) and 50 countries were classified as “not free”. The latter was home to 2.7 billion people (37% of the world's population), more than half of which were in a single country, the People's Republic of China .
While Zimbabwe could be changed from “not free” to “partially free”, Uganda and Nicaragua had to be downgraded to “not free”. In addition, Hungary and Serbia were downgraded from “free” to “partially free”.
Of the 50 countries declared as "not free", the following 13 were classified as the " worst of the worst " (with a brief description by Freedom House ):
- Central African Republic , Libya , Somalia , South Sudan - shaken by civil war
- Syria - shaken by civil war, contested dictatorship
- North Korea , Eritrea , Uzbekistan - hermetic police state
- Saudi Arabia - absolute monarchy
- Tajikistan - family kleptocracy
- Equatorial Guinea , Turkmenistan - Oil Kleptocracy
The almost continuous decline in the freedom index in the United States was also commented with concern : The United States, which had received a point value of 96 in 2009, fell to 86 points in 2018. Attacks on the independence of the judiciary, attempts to demonize the press (fake news) , conflicts of interest and corruption, electoral influence and other things have increased in the United States.
list
The list of countries in the above report lists the countries according to their degrees of freedom. On the one hand, political rights (PR) and, on the other hand, civil liberties (BF) were assessed according to a point system. A point value of '1' means “maximally free”, one of “7” means “least free”. The freedom of the press is assessed with its own point system. A point value of '0' means “least free”, one of “4” means “maximum free”. Internet freedom was also rated in some countries.
The degree of freedom was classified on the basis of an overall score, whereby the division into the three classes "free", "partially free" and "not free" was possible. A higher overall score indicates a higher degree of freedom. The labels and indicate positive or negative developments since the last survey. Countries that are not generally recognized or specific areas for which Freedom House publishes its own report are indicated in italics .
| Country | PR (1-7) |
BF (1-7) |
Overall score |
status | Freedom of the press |
Internet freedom |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Abkhazia
|
4th | 5 | 41 | partially free | 2 | |
 Afghanistan
|
5 | 6th | 27 | not free | 2 | |
 Egypt
|
6th | 6 | 22nd | not free | 1 | not free |
 Albania
|
3 | 3 | 68 | partially free | 2 | |
 Algeria
|
6th | 5 | 34 | not free | 1 | |
 Andorra
|
1 | 1 | 94 | free | 3 | |
 Artsakh Republic
|
5 | 5 | 31 | partially free | 1 | |
 Angola
|
6th | 5 | 31 | not free | 1 | partially free |
 Antigua and Barbuda
|
2 | 2 | 84 | free | 3 | |
 Argentina
|
2 | 2 | 84 | free | 3 | free |
 Armenia
|
4 | 4th | 51 | partially free | 2 | free |
 Azerbaijan
|
7th | 6th | 11 | not free | 0 | not free |
 Ethiopia
|
6 | 6th | 19th | not free | 1 | not free |
 Australia
|
1 | 1 | 98 | free | 4th | free |
 Bahamas
|
1 | 1 | 91 | free | 3 | |
 Bahrain
|
7th | 6th | 12 | not free | 0 | not free |
 Bangladesh
|
5 | 5 | 41 | partially free | 1 | partially free |
 Barbados
|
1 | 1 | 96 | free | 4th | |
 Belgium
|
1 | 1 | 96 | free | 4th | |
 Belize
|
1 | 2 | 86 | free | 3 | |
 Benin
|
2 | 2 | 79 | free | 2 | |
 Bhutan
|
3 | 4th | 59 | partially free | 2 | |
 Bolivia
|
3 | 3 | 67 | partially free | 2 | |
 Bosnia and Herzegovina
|
4th | 4th | 53 | partially free | 2 | |
 Botswana
|
3 | 2 | 72 | free | 2 | |
 Brazil
|
2 | 2 | 75 | free | 3 | partially free |
 Brunei
|
6th | 5 | 29 | not free | 1 | |
 Bulgaria
|
2 | 2 | 80 | free | 3 | |
 Burkina Faso
|
4th | 3 | 60 | partially free | 3 | |
 Burundi
|
7th | 6th | 14th | not free | 0 | |
 Chile
|
1 | 1 | 94 | free | 4th | |
 People's Republic of China
|
7th | 6th | 11 | not free | 0 | not free |
 Costa Rica
|
1 | 1 | 91 | free | 4th | |
 Denmark
|
1 | 1 | 97 | free | 4th | |
 Germany
|
1 | 1 | 94 | free | 4th | free |
 Dominica
|
1 | 1 | 93 | free | 3 | |
 Dominican Republic
|
3 | 3 | 67 | partially free | 2 | |
 Djibouti
|
6th | 5 | 26th | not free | 1 | |
 Ecuador
|
3 | 3 | 63 | partially free | 2 | partially free |
 Ivory Coast
|
4th | 4th | 51 | partially free | 2 | |
 El Salvador
|
2 | 3 | 67 | free | 2 | |
 Equatorial Guinea
|
7th | 7th | 6th | not free | 0 | |
 Eritrea
|
7th | 7th | 2 | not free | 0 | |
 Estonia
|
1 | 1 | 94 | free | 4th | free |
 Fiji
|
3 | 3 | 61 | partially free | 2 | |
 Finland
|
1 | 1 | 100 | free | 4th | |
 France
|
1 | 2 | 90 | free | 4th | free |
 Gaza Strip
|
7th | 6th | 11 | not free | 0 | |
 Gabon
|
7th | 5 | 23 | not free | 1 | |
 Gambia
|
4th | 5 | 45 | partially free | 2 | partially free |
 Georgia
|
3 | 3 | 64 | partially free | 2 | free |
 Ghana
|
1 | 2 | 83 | free | 3 | |
 Greece
|
1 | 2 | 87 | free | 3 | |
 Grenada
|
1 | 2 | 89 | free | 3 | |
 Guatemala
|
4th | 4th | 53 | partially free | 2 | |
 Guinea
|
5 | 4 | 43 | partially free | 2 | |
 Guinea-Bissau
|
5 | 4 | 42 | partially free | 2 | |
 Guyana
|
2 | 3 | 75 | free | 3 | |
 Haiti
|
5 | 5 | 41 | partially free | 2 | |
.svg){kind=small} Honduras
|
4th | 4th | 46 | partially free | 1 | |
 Hong Kong
|
5 | 2 | 59 | partially free | 2 | |
 India
|
2 | 3 | 75 | free | 2 | partially free |
| Indian Kashmir | 4th | 4th | 49 | partially free | 2 | |
 Indonesia
|
2 | 4th | 62 | partially free | 3 | partially free |
 Iran
|
6th | 6th | 18th | not free | 1 | not free |
 Iraq
|
5 | 6th | 32 | not free | 1 | |
 Ireland
|
1 | 1 | 97 | free | 4th | |
 Iceland
|
1 | 1 | 94 | free | 3 | free |
 Israel
|
2 | 3 | 78 | free | 3 | |
 Italy
|
1 | 1 | 89 | free | 3 | free |
 Jamaica
|
2 | 2 | 78 | free | 4th | |
 Japan
|
1 | 1 | 96 | free | 3 | free |
 Yemen
|
7th | 6th | 13 | not free | 0 | |
 Jordan
|
5 | 5 | 37 | partially free | 1 | partially free |
 Cambodia
|
6th | 5 | 26th | not free | 1 | partially free |
 Cameroon
|
6th | 6th | 19th | not free | 0 | |
 Canada
|
1 | 1 | 99 | free | 4th | free |
 Cape Verde
|
1 | 1 | 90 | free | 3 | |
 Kazakhstan
|
7th | 5 | 22nd | not free | 0 | not free |
 Qatar
|
6th | 5 | 25th | not free | 1 | |
 Kenya
|
4th | 4th | 48 | partially free | 2 | partially free |
 Kyrgyzstan
|
5 | 5 | 37 | partially free | 2 | partially free |
 Kiribati
|
1 | 1 | 93 | free | 4th | |
 Colombia
|
3 | 3 | 66 | partially free | 2 | partially free |
 Democratic Republic of Congo
|
7th | 6th | 15th | not free | 1 | |
 Republic of the Congo
|
7th | 5 | 21st | not free | 1 | |
 Comoros
|
4th | 4th | 50 | partially free | 2 | |
 Kosovo
|
3 | 4th | 54 | partially free | 2 | |
| Crimea | 7th | 6th | 8th | not free | 0 | |
 Croatia
|
1 | 2 | 85 | free | 3 | |
 Cuba
|
7th | 6th | 14th | not free | 1 | not free |
 Kuwait
|
5 | 5 | 36 | partially free | 1 | |
 Laos
|
7th | 6th | 14th | not free | 0 | |
 Latvia
|
2 | 2 | 87 | free | 3 | |
 Lesotho
|
3 | 3 | 63 | partially free | 2 | |
 Lebanon
|
5 | 4th | 45 | partially free | 2 | partially free |
 Liberia
|
3 | 3 | 62 | partially free | 2 | |
 Libya
|
7th | 6th | 9 | not free | 1 | partially free |
 Liechtenstein
|
2 | 1 | 90 | free | 4th | |
 Lithuania
|
1 | 1 | 91 | free | 4th | |
 Luxembourg
|
1 | 1 | 98 | free | 4th | |
 Madagascar
|
3 | 4th | 56 | partially free | 2 | |
 Malawi
|
3 | 3 | 64 | partially free | 3 | partially free |
 Malaysia
|
4th | 4th | 52 | partially free | 3 | partially free |
 Maldives
|
5 | 5 | 35 | partially free | 1 | |
 Mali
|
4 | 4th | 44 | partially free | 2 | |
 Malta
|
2 | 1 | 91 | free | 3 | |
 Morocco
|
5 | 5 | 39 | partially free | 1 | partially free |
 Marshall Islands
|
1 | 1 | 93 | free | 4th | |
.svg){kind=small} Mauritania
|
6th | 5 | 32 | not free | 2 | |
 Mauritius
|
1 | 2 | 89 | free | 3 | |
 Mexico
|
3 | 3 | 63 | partially free | 2 | partially free |
 Micronesia
|
1 | 1 | 92 | free | 4th | |
 Moldova
|
3 | 4 | 58 | partially free | 2 | |
 Monaco
|
3 | 1 | 82 | free | 4th | |
 Mongolia
|
1 | 2 | 85 | free | 3 | |
 Montenegro
|
4 | 3 | 65 | partially free | 2 | |
 Mozambique
|
4th | 4th | 51 | partially free | 2 | |
 Myanmar
|
5 | 5 | 30th | partially free | 1 | not free |
 Namibia
|
3 | 2 | 75 | free | 3 | |
 Nauru
|
2 | 2 | 78 | free | 2 | |
 Nepal
|
3 | 4th | 54 | partially free | 2 | |
 New Zealand
|
1 | 1 | 98 | free | 4th | |
 Nicaragua
|
6 | 5 | 32 | not free | 1 | |
 Netherlands
|
1 | 1 | 99 | free | 4th | |
 Niger
|
4th | 4th | 49 | partially free | 2 | |
 Nigeria
|
3 | 5 | 50 | partially free | 2 | partially free |
 North Korea
|
7th | 7th | 3 | not free | 0 | |
 North Macedonia
|
4th | 3 | 59 | partially free | 2 | |
 Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
|
2 | 2 | 81 | free | 4th | |
 Norway
|
1 | 1 | 100 | free | 4th | |
 Austria
|
1 | 1 | 93 | free | 3 | |
 Oman
|
6th | 5 | 23 | not free | 1 | |
 Pakistan
|
5 | 5 | 39 | partially free | 1 | not free |
| Pakistani Kashmir | 6th | 5 | 28 | not free | 1 | |
 Palau
|
1 | 1 | 92 | free | 4th | |
 Panama
|
1 | 2 | 84 | free | 3 | |
 Papua New Guinea
|
4 | 3 | 64 | partially free | 3 | |
 Paraguay
|
3 | 3 | 65 | partially free | 2 | |
 Peru
|
2 | 3 | 73 | free | 3 | |
 Philippines
|
3 | 3 | 61 | partially free | 2 | partially free |
 Poland
|
2 | 2 | 84 | free | 3 | |
 Portugal
|
1 | 1 | 96 | free | 4th | |
 Romania
|
2 | 2 | 81 | free | 3 | |
 Russia
|
7th | 6th | 20th | not free | 0 | not free |
 Rwanda
|
6th | 6th | 23 | not free | 0 | partially free |
 St. Kitts and Nevis
|
1 | 1 | 89 | free | 3 | |
 St. Lucia
|
1 | 1 | 92 | free | 3 | |
 St. Vincent and the Grenadines
|
1 | 1 | 91 | free | 3 | |
 Zambia
|
4th | 4th | 54 | partially free | 1 | partially free |
 Samoa
|
2 | 2 | 81 | free | 3 | |
 San Marino
|
1 | 1 | 95 | free | 3 | |
 Sao Tome and Principe
|
2 | 2 | 83 | free | 3 | |
 Saudi Arabia
|
7th | 7th | 7th | not free | 0 | not free |
 Senegal
|
2 | 3 | 72 | free | 2 | |
 Serbia
|
3 | 3 | 67 | partially free | 2 | |
 Seychelles
|
3 | 3 | 71 | partially free | 2 | |
 Sierra Leone
|
3 | 3 | 65 | partially free | 2 | |
 Zimbabwe
|
5 | 5 | 30th | partially free | 1 | partially free |
 Singapore
|
4th | 4th | 51 | partially free | 2 | partially free |
 Slovakia
|
1 | 2 | 88 | free | 2 | |
 Slovenia
|
1 | 1 | 94 | free | 3 | |
 Solomon Islands
|
2 | 2 | 79 | free | 4th | |
 Somalia
|
7th | 7th | 7th | not free | 1 | |
 Somaliland
|
4th | 5 | 43 | partially free | 1 | |
 South Africa
|
2 | 2 | 79 | free | 3 | free |
 Spain
|
1 | 1 | 94 | free | 3 | |
 Sri Lanka
|
3 | 4th | 56 | partially free | 2 | partially free |
 Sudan
|
7th | 7th | 7th | not free | 0 | not free |
 South Korea
|
2 | 2 | 83 | free | 3 | free |
 South Ossetia
|
7th | 6th | 10 | not free | 0 | |
 South Sudan
|
7th | 7th | 2 | not free | 0 | |
 Suriname
|
2 | 3 | 77 | free | 3 | |
 Swaziland
|
7th | 6th | 16 | not free | 1 | |
 Sweden
|
1 | 1 | 100 | free | 4th | |
 Switzerland
|
1 | 1 | 96 | free | 4th | |
 Syria
|
7th | 7th | 0 | not free | 0 | not free |
 Taiwan
|
1 | 1 | 93 | free | 4th | |
 Tajikistan
|
7th | 6th | 9 | not free | 0 | |
 Tanzania
|
4th | 5 | 45 | partially free | 1 | |
 Thailand
|
7 | 5 | 30th | not free | 1 | not free |
 Tibet
|
7th | 7th | 1 | not free | 0 | |
 East Timor
|
2 | 3 | 70 | partially free | 3 | |
 Togo
|
5 | 4th | 43 | partially free | 2 | |
 Tonga
|
2 | 2 | 79 | free | 2 | |
.svg){kind=small} Transnistria
|
6th | 6th | 24 | not free | 0 | |
 Trinidad and Tobago
|
2 | 2 | 82 | free | 4th | |
 Chad
|
7th | 6th | 17th | not free | 1 | |
 Czech Republic
|
1 | 1 | 91 | free | 3 | |
 Tunisia
|
2 | 3 | 69 | free | 2 | partially free |
 Turkey
|
5 | 6th | 31 | not free | 1 | not free |
 Turkmenistan
|
7th | 7th | 2 | not free | 0 | |
 Tuvalu
|
1 | 1 | 93 | free | 4th | |
 Uganda
|
6th | 5 | 36 | not free | 2 | partially free |
 Ukraine
|
3 | 4 | 60 | partially free | 2 | partially free |
 Hungary
|
3 | 3 | 70 | partially free | 2 | free |
 Uruguay
|
1 | 1 | 98 | free | 4th | |
 Uzbekistan
|
7th | 7th | 9 | not free | 0 | not free |
 Vanuatu
|
2 | 2 | 82 | free | 3 | |
 Venezuela
|
7 | 6 | 19th | not free | 1 | not free |
 United Arab Emirates
|
7th | 6th | 17th | not free | 0 | |
 United Kingdom
|
1 | 1 | 93 | free | 4th | free |
 United States
|
2 | 1 | 86 | free | 4th | free |
 Vietnam
|
7th | 5 | 20th | not free | 1 | not free |
 Belarus
|
6th | 6th | 21st | not free | 0 | not free |
|
West Bank
|
7th | 5 | 25th | not free | 1 | |
 Western Sahara
|
7th | 7th | 4th | not free | 0 | |
 Central African Republic
|
7th | 7th | 9 | not free | 1 | |
 Cyprus
|
1 | 1 | 94 | free | 4th | |
| Country | PR (1-7) |
BF (1-7) |
Overall score |
status | Freedom of the press |
Internet freedom |
See also
- List of countries according to personal freedom (Legatum Prosperity Index 2019)
- World Happiness Report (UNO World Happiness Report )
- List of Indices of Freedom (Worldwide Measures)
source
- Freedom House : Freedom in the World 2019. Washington / New York 2019 (English; with reports; freedomhouse.org PDF: 1.3 MB, 31 pages).