by Anna Fleck
Democratic watchdog organization Freedom House has released its annual ranking of the world’s most free and most suppressed nations. The report is considered a key barometer for global democracy and this year’s edition found that global freedom has declined for the 18th year straight. A total of 195 countries and 15 territories were analyzed on their levels of access to political rights and civil liberties, before being categorized as either “free”, “partly free” or “not free”. While democracy has been in decline for nearly two decades, the global landscape has improved since the report was first published 51 years ago. Back then, 44 out of 148 countries were counted as “free”, versus 83 out of 195 today.
Only 21 improved their freedom rating this year opposite the last, among them Thailand – now rated partially free after a more competitive election – as well as Fiji, Nepal, Liberia and Mauritania. 52 nations declined. The report points out Ecuador’s inability to control criminal organizations from interfering in its 2023 election in a violent way, downgrading the country to “partially free”. Incumbents not being kept from interference in elections affected ratings in Poland, Turkey, Cambodia, Guatemala and Zimbabwe.
