Civil Liberties Score in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Civil Liberties Score was 53 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Civil Liberties Score in United Kingdom, 2003–2025
Source: Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, civil liberties score in United Kingdom stood at 53. That is the lowest value across all 23 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, civil liberties score in United Kingdom peaked at 58 in 2003 and was at its lowest, 53, in 2023.
That places United Kingdom 38th out of 197 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.
Civil Liberties Score in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 58 | — |
| 2004 | 58 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 57 | -1.7% |
| 2006 | 58 | +1.8% |
| 2007 | 57 | -1.7% |
| 2008 | 57 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 56 | -1.8% |
| 2010 | 57 | +1.8% |
| 2011 | 56 | -1.8% |
| 2012 | 57 | +1.8% |
| 2013 | 57 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 57 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 55 | -3.5% |
| 2016 | 55 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 54 | -1.8% |
| 2018 | 54 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 55 | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 54 | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 54 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 54 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 53 | -1.9% |
| 2024 | 53 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 53 | +0.0% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 53 is above the median for high income countries, which is 53, 1.0× the median. (66 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 53 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 52, 1.0× the median. (52 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 57.29 | 56 | 58 | 7 |
| 2010s | 55.7 | 54 | 57 | 10 |
| 2020s | 53.5 | 53 | 54 | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
- 38 Belize 53 compare
- 38 Costa Rica 53 compare
- 38 Kiribati 53 compare
- 38 Malta 53 compare
- 38 Puerto Rico 53 compare
- 38 Saint Lucia 53 compare
- 38 Slovakia 53 compare
More reference data data for United Kingdom
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.13 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.97 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 13.26 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.01 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 13.26 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 10.5 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 6.51 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 15.81 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 59.34 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 5.48 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is civil liberties score in United Kingdom?
- Civil liberties score in United Kingdom was 53 in 2025, according to Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest civil liberties score recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 58 in 2003.
- What is the lowest civil liberties score recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 53 in 2023.
- How does United Kingdom rank for civil liberties score?
- United Kingdom ranks 38th out of 197 countries with data for 2025.
- Is civil liberties score rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
- The figures come from Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Civil Liberties Score. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The variable identifies the fine-grained extent of freedom of expression and association, the rule of law, and personal autonomy. Higher scores indicate more liberties.