Civil liberties rating in Syria

Syria: Civil liberties rating was 6 in 2025. ▬ Flat

Latest (2025)
6
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
16th
of 199 countries
All-time high
7
in 1972
All-time low
6
in 1976
Years of data
53
1972–2025

Civil liberties rating in Syria, 1972–2025

02468197219982025

Source: Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

Syria recorded 6 for civil liberties rating in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 53 years on record.

The figure is down 14.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, civil liberties rating in Syria peaked at 7 in 1972 and was at its lowest, 6, in 1976.

Syria ranks 16th of 199 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

Civil liberties rating in Syria, year by year

Annual values for Civil liberties rating in Syria, 1972 to 2025.
Year Value Change
1972 7 —
1973 7 +0.0%
1974 7 +0.0%
1975 7 +0.0%
1976 6 -14.3%
1977 6 +0.0%
1978 6 +0.0%
1979 6 +0.0%
1980 7 +16.7%
1982 7 +0.0%
1983 7 +0.0%
1984 7 +0.0%
1985 7 +0.0%
1986 7 +0.0%
1987 7 +0.0%
1988 7 +0.0%
1989 7 +0.0%
1990 7 +0.0%
1991 7 +0.0%
1992 7 +0.0%
1993 7 +0.0%
1994 7 +0.0%
1995 7 +0.0%
1996 7 +0.0%
1997 7 +0.0%
1998 7 +0.0%
1999 7 +0.0%
2000 7 +0.0%
2001 7 +0.0%
2002 7 +0.0%
2003 7 +0.0%
2004 7 +0.0%
2005 7 +0.0%
2006 6 -14.3%
2007 6 +0.0%
2008 6 +0.0%
2009 6 +0.0%
2010 6 +0.0%
2011 7 +16.7%
2012 7 +0.0%
2013 7 +0.0%
2014 7 +0.0%
2015 7 +0.0%
2016 7 +0.0%
2017 7 +0.0%
2018 7 +0.0%
2019 7 +0.0%
2020 7 +0.0%
2021 7 +0.0%
2022 7 +0.0%
2023 7 +0.0%
2024 6 -14.3%
2025 6 +0.0%

Syria compared with similar countries

  • Syria's 6 is above the median for low income countries, which is 6, 1.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
  • Syria's 6 is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 5, 1.2× the median. (23 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 6.5 6 7 8
1980s 7 7 7 9
1990s 7 7 7 10
2000s 6.6 6 7 10
2010s 6.9 6 7 10
2020s 6.67 6 7 6

Countries ranked near Syria

  1. 16 Bahrain 6 compare
  2. 16 Burundi 6 compare
  3. 16 Cameroon 6 compare
  4. 16 Chad 6 compare
  5. 16 China 6 compare
  6. 16 Congo 6 compare
  7. 16 Cuba 6 compare
  8. 16 Democratic Republic of Congo 6 compare
  9. 16 Egypt 6 compare
  10. 16 Eswatini 6 compare
  11. 16 Ethiopia 6 compare
  12. 16 Iraq 6 compare
  13. 16 Laos 6 compare
  14. 16 Libya 6 compare
  15. 16 Nicaragua 6 compare
  16. 16 Russia 6 compare
  17. 16 Rwanda 6 compare
  18. 16 Saudi Arabia 6 compare
  19. 16 Turkey 6 compare
  20. 16 United Arab Emirates 6 compare
  21. 16 Uzbekistan 6 compare
  22. 16 Venezuela 6 compare
  23. 16 Vietnam 6 compare
  24. 16 Yemen 6 compare

See the full ranking of 199 places →

More reference data data for Syria

All data for Syria →

Frequently asked questions

What is civil liberties rating in Syria?
Civil liberties rating in Syria was 6 in 2025, according to Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest civil liberties rating recorded in Syria?
The highest recorded value was 7 in 1972.
What is the lowest civil liberties rating recorded in Syria?
The lowest recorded value was 6 in 1976.
How does Syria rank for civil liberties rating?
Syria ranks 16th out of 199 countries with data for 2025.
Is civil liberties rating rising or falling in Syria?
Over the last ten years it is down 14.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Syria data come from?
The figures come from Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Civil liberties rating. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Civil liberties rating in Syria. Statizoid, drawing on Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 24 October 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/civil-liberties-rating-fh/syrian-arab-republic/

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About this data

Indicator
Civil liberties rating
Source
Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
199 places, 10,083 data points, 1972–2025
Last refreshed

Identifies the extent of freedom of expression and association, the rule of law, and personal autonomy. Lower ratings indicate more liberties.