Political Civil Liberties Index by country
Central estimate of the extent to which people enjoy the freedoms of expression and association.
Countries reporting
173
Highest
0.975
Denmark
Lowest
0.015
North Korea
Median
0.741
Years covered
237
1789–2025
Data points
30,211
What the numbers show
Political Civil Liberties Index is currently reported for 173 countries. The highest value is 0.975 in Denmark; the lowest is 0.015 in North Korea.
The median across all reporting countries is 0.741, and the mean is 0.6161.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 65.
Over the past decade 47 countries rose and 122 fell. The largest increase was in Syria (up 686.1%), and the largest decrease in Afghanistan (down 96.8%).
Political Civil Liberties Index: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denmark | 0.975 | 2025 | down 0.9% | rising |
| 2 | Switzerland | 0.969 | 2025 | down 1.1% | rising |
| 4 | Estonia | 0.966 | 2025 | down 0.3% | volatile |
| 5 | Belgium | 0.963 | 2025 | down 0.7% | rising |
| 6 | Sweden | 0.96 | 2025 | down 1.4% | rising |
| 8 | Norway | 0.955 | 2025 | down 1.3% | rising |
| 9 | France | 0.953 | 2025 | down 0.5% | rising |
| 10 | Uruguay | 0.947 | 2025 | down 2.5% | flat |
| 11 | Chile | 0.943 | 2025 | down 2.2% | volatile |
| 11 | Latvia | 0.943 | 2025 | down 1.3% | volatile |
| 13 | Finland | 0.936 | 2025 | down 1.5% | rising |
| 13 | Jamaica | 0.936 | 2025 | down 0.5% | rising |
| 15 | Czechia | 0.934 | 2025 | down 1.3% | volatile |
| 16 | Brazil | 0.932 | 2025 | down 1.5% | volatile |
| 17 | Costa Rica | 0.931 | 2025 | down 4.2% | rising |
| 18 | Iceland | 0.93 | 2025 | down 2.0% | rising |
| 18 | Poland | 0.93 | 2025 | down 2.6% | volatile |
| 20 | New Zealand | 0.929 | 2025 | down 3.0% | rising |
| 21 | Austria | 0.926 | 2025 | down 3.6% | volatile |
| 22 | Spain | 0.925 | 2025 | down 0.5% | volatile |
| 23 | Barbados | 0.922 | 2025 | up 1.1% | rising |
| 23 | Canada | 0.922 | 2025 | down 1.1% | rising |
| 23 | Dominican Republic | 0.922 | 2025 | up 8.9% | volatile |
| 23 | Ghana | 0.922 | 2025 | down 0.6% | rising |
| 23 | Mauritius | 0.922 | 2025 | up 6.1% | rising |
| 28 | Japan | 0.92 | 2025 | up 1.0% | volatile |
| 28 | Trinidad and Tobago | 0.92 | 2025 | up 0.9% | rising |
| 30 | Suriname | 0.916 | 2025 | up 0.1% | rising |
| 31 | Portugal | 0.914 | 2025 | down 5.2% | volatile |
| 32 | South Korea | 0.911 | 2025 | up 13.0% | volatile |
| 33 | Australia | 0.906 | 2025 | down 4.3% | rising |
| 34 | Vanuatu | 0.905 | 2025 | down 2.0% | rising |
| 35 | Taiwan | 0.904 | 2025 | down 1.2% | volatile |
| 36 | Namibia | 0.896 | 2025 | down 0.6% | volatile |
| 37 | Sri Lanka | 0.895 | 2025 | up 20.3% | falling |
| 38 | Cape Verde | 0.893 | 2025 | down 4.1% | volatile |
| 38 | Lithuania | 0.893 | 2025 | down 4.8% | volatile |
| 38 | Seychelles | 0.893 | 2025 | up 23.3% | rising |
| 41 | Germany | 0.892 | 2025 | down 6.7% | volatile |
| 41 | Netherlands | 0.892 | 2025 | down 4.9% | rising |
| 41 | Solomon Islands | 0.892 | 2025 | up 5.4% | rising |
| 44 | Montenegro | 0.891 | 2025 | up 9.3% | volatile |
| 46 | Papua New Guinea | 0.889 | 2025 | up 4.1% | rising |
| 47 | Panama | 0.885 | 2025 | down 1.7% | rising |
| 48 | South Africa | 0.884 | 2025 | down 1.4% | volatile |
| 49 | Cyprus | 0.879 | 2025 | down 5.4% | rising |
| 50 | Honduras | 0.876 | 2025 | up 15.6% | volatile |
| 51 | Italy | 0.873 | 2025 | down 8.9% | volatile |
| 52 | Sierra Leone | 0.868 | 2025 | up 4.2% | rising |
| 53 | East Timor | 0.866 | 2025 | up 7.8% | volatile |
| 54 | United States | 0.865 | 2025 | down 11.6% | rising |
| 55 | Nigeria | 0.863 | 2025 | down 0.3% | rising |
| 55 | Nepal | 0.863 | 2025 | down 1.3% | volatile |
| 57 | Kenya | 0.86 | 2025 | up 1.2% | volatile |
| 58 | United Kingdom | 0.858 | 2025 | down 8.9% | rising |
| 59 | Lesotho | 0.857 | 2025 | up 7.9% | volatile |
| 60 | Guatemala | 0.856 | 2025 | up 6.5% | volatile |
| 61 | Guyana | 0.855 | 2025 | down 6.4% | rising |
| 62 | Greece | 0.845 | 2025 | down 12.1% | rising |
| 62 | Liberia | 0.845 | 2025 | down 3.8% | rising |
| 64 | Botswana | 0.843 | 2025 | down 3.1% | volatile |
| 64 | Sao Tome and Principe | 0.843 | 2025 | down 2.7% | volatile |
| 66 | Colombia | 0.842 | 2025 | down 5.9% | rising |
| 67 | Romania | 0.838 | 2025 | down 7.5% | volatile |
| 68 | Gambia | 0.837 | 2025 | up 211.2% | rising |
| 68 | Senegal | 0.837 | 2025 | down 9.3% | rising |
| 70 | Bulgaria | 0.825 | 2025 | up 1.4% | volatile |
| 71 | Armenia | 0.818 | 2025 | up 17.9% | volatile |
| 72 | Slovakia | 0.807 | 2025 | down 12.9% | volatile |
| 73 | Paraguay | 0.799 | 2025 | down 0.4% | volatile |
| 74 | Slovenia | 0.797 | 2025 | down 16.6% | volatile |
| 74 | Zambia | 0.797 | 2025 | up 10.4% | rising |
| 76 | Croatia | 0.793 | 2025 | down 10.5% | volatile |
| 77 | Haiti | 0.786 | 2025 | down 3.7% | volatile |
| 78 | Argentina | 0.774 | 2025 | down 11.7% | rising |
| 79 | Israel | 0.769 | 2025 | down 6.6% | volatile |
| 80 | Albania | 0.761 | 2025 | down 7.5% | volatile |
| 80 | Moldova | 0.761 | 2025 | down 0.7% | volatile |
| 82 | Fiji | 0.759 | 2025 | up 39.5% | flat |
| 82 | Peru | 0.759 | 2025 | down 17.0% | rising |
| 84 | Mongolia | 0.758 | 2025 | down 16.2% | volatile |
| 85 | Malawi | 0.755 | 2025 | down 11.2% | volatile |
| 86 | North Macedonia | 0.753 | 2025 | up 15.8% | volatile |
| 87 | Gabon | 0.747 | 2025 | down 7.0% | volatile |
| 87 | Niger | 0.747 | 2025 | down 15.6% | volatile |
| 89 | Madagascar | 0.743 | 2025 | down 9.7% | volatile |
| 90 | Benin | 0.741 | 2025 | down 15.9% | volatile |
| 91 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 0.735 | 2025 | down 9.5% | volatile |
| 91 | Bolivia | 0.735 | 2025 | down 7.9% | rising |
| 93 | Lebanon | 0.729 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 94 | Maldives | 0.724 | 2025 | up 34.6% | volatile |
| 95 | Cote d'Ivoire | 0.701 | 2025 | down 10.0% | volatile |
| 96 | Ecuador | 0.694 | 2025 | up 8.4% | rising |
| 97 | Malaysia | 0.691 | 2025 | up 25.0% | rising |
| 98 | Bhutan | 0.658 | 2025 | down 4.5% | volatile |
| 99 | Mexico | 0.642 | 2025 | down 18.5% | rising |
| 100 | Philippines | 0.641 | 2025 | down 24.6% | rising |
| 101 | Bangladesh | 0.636 | 2025 | up 40.1% | rising |
| 102 | Tanzania | 0.614 | 2025 | down 13.2% | rising |
| 103 | Hungary | 0.607 | 2025 | down 24.3% | volatile |
| 104 | Georgia | 0.605 | 2025 | down 33.2% | volatile |
| 105 | Indonesia | 0.596 | 2025 | down 27.0% | volatile |
| 106 | Angola | 0.578 | 2025 | up 22.7% | volatile |
| 107 | Tunisia | 0.561 | 2025 | down 34.1% | volatile |
| 108 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 0.555 | 2025 | up 2.8% | volatile |
| 109 | Guinea-Bissau | 0.549 | 2025 | down 21.2% | volatile |
| 109 | Jordan | 0.549 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 109 | Morocco | 0.549 | 2025 | down 9.0% | volatile |
| 109 | Serbia | 0.549 | 2025 | down 15.9% | volatile |
| 113 | Thailand | 0.548 | 2025 | up 185.4% | volatile |
| 114 | Iraq | 0.543 | 2025 | down 5.7% | volatile |
| 115 | Somalia | 0.532 | 2025 | up 5.8% | volatile |
| 116 | Singapore | 0.528 | 2025 | up 5.6% | rising |
| 117 | Mauritania | 0.526 | 2025 | down 24.5% | volatile |
| 118 | Central African Republic | 0.525 | 2025 | down 20.0% | volatile |
| 119 | Libya | 0.515 | 2025 | down 21.7% | volatile |
| 120 | Comoros | 0.514 | 2025 | down 30.6% | volatile |
| 121 | Ukraine | 0.511 | 2025 | down 23.7% | volatile |
| 122 | Mozambique | 0.504 | 2025 | down 35.1% | volatile |
| 123 | Pakistan | 0.502 | 2025 | down 22.4% | rising |
| 124 | Togo | 0.483 | 2025 | down 38.2% | volatile |
| 125 | India | 0.465 | 2025 | down 28.2% | rising |
| 126 | Guinea | 0.453 | 2025 | down 25.9% | volatile |
| 127 | Mali | 0.439 | 2025 | down 48.5% | volatile |
| 128 | El Salvador | 0.429 | 2025 | down 51.4% | volatile |
| 129 | Kyrgyzstan | 0.427 | 2025 | down 42.6% | volatile |
| 130 | Cameroon | 0.417 | 2025 | down 28.1% | volatile |
| 131 | Djibouti | 0.41 | 2025 | up 9.9% | volatile |
| 132 | Uganda | 0.368 | 2025 | down 26.7% | rising |
| 133 | Kuwait | 0.364 | 2025 | down 3.4% | rising |
| 134 | Kazakhstan | 0.362 | 2025 | up 8.1% | volatile |
| 135 | Zimbabwe | 0.349 | 2025 | down 18.5% | flat |
| 136 | Burkina Faso | 0.346 | 2025 | down 61.7% | rising |
| 137 | Algeria | 0.339 | 2025 | down 35.2% | volatile |
| 138 | Ethiopia | 0.336 | 2025 | up 12.0% | volatile |
| 139 | Chad | 0.302 | 2025 | down 36.0% | volatile |
| 140 | Congo | 0.296 | 2025 | down 6.9% | volatile |
| 141 | Yemen | 0.295 | 2025 | up 28.8% | volatile |
| 142 | Palestine | 0.291 | 1948 | unchanged | flat |
| 143 | Syria | 0.283 | 2025 | up 686.1% | volatile |
| 144 | Sudan | 0.271 | 2025 | up 30.3% | flat |
| 145 | Turkey | 0.263 | 2025 | down 43.1% | volatile |
| 146 | Uzbekistan | 0.249 | 2025 | up 200.0% | volatile |
| 147 | Hong Kong | 0.231 | 2025 | down 69.0% | rising |
| 148 | Cambodia | 0.208 | 2025 | down 50.6% | volatile |
| 149 | Rwanda | 0.174 | 2025 | down 43.0% | rising |
| 150 | Oman | 0.167 | 2025 | up 21.9% | volatile |
| 151 | Iran | 0.158 | 2025 | down 7.1% | volatile |
| 152 | Burundi | 0.157 | 2025 | down 13.3% | volatile |
| 153 | Venezuela | 0.155 | 2025 | down 61.5% | volatile |
| 154 | Bahrain | 0.15 | 2025 | up 6.4% | volatile |
| 155 | Egypt | 0.145 | 2025 | up 9.0% | falling |
| 156 | Vatican | 0.136 | 1870 | unchanged | falling |
| 157 | United Arab Emirates | 0.122 | 2025 | down 20.3% | falling |
| 158 | Azerbaijan | 0.121 | 2025 | down 52.0% | volatile |
| 158 | South Sudan | 0.121 | 2025 | down 22.4% | falling |
| 160 | Equatorial Guinea | 0.117 | 2025 | down 32.8% | volatile |
| 161 | Russia | 0.1 | 2025 | down 73.2% | volatile |
| 162 | Vietnam | 0.094 | 2025 | down 42.0% | rising |
| 163 | Saudi Arabia | 0.083 | 2025 | up 10.7% | falling |
| 164 | Qatar | 0.079 | 2025 | down 44.0% | rising |
| 165 | Tajikistan | 0.07 | 2025 | down 63.7% | volatile |
| 166 | Eswatini | 0.062 | 2025 | down 52.7% | falling |
| 167 | Myanmar | 0.058 | 2025 | down 90.3% | volatile |
| 168 | Turkmenistan | 0.054 | 2025 | up 38.5% | volatile |
| 169 | Laos | 0.053 | 2025 | up 12.8% | volatile |
| 170 | Cuba | 0.037 | 2025 | down 2.6% | volatile |
| 171 | Belarus | 0.036 | 2025 | down 90.3% | volatile |
| 171 | China | 0.036 | 2025 | down 60.4% | volatile |
| 173 | Eritrea | 0.024 | 2025 | down 20.0% | volatile |
| 174 | Afghanistan | 0.021 | 2025 | down 96.8% | volatile |
| 175 | Nicaragua | 0.017 | 2025 | down 96.6% | volatile |
| 176 | North Korea | 0.015 | 2025 | up 15.4% | volatile |
About this data
Central estimate of the extent to which people enjoy the freedoms of expression and association.