Country Studies

We should add a paragraph of copy here, that explains this page and why it's important. Also, some kind of link to the section on the site that explains the rankings.

We Demand Voting Rights March

Azerbaijan Country Study

Status: Not Free

Freedom Rating: 7/100 | Political Rights: 0/40 | Civil Liberties: 7/60

Azerbaijan lies at the crossroads between Europe and Asia - with Russia to the north, Iran to the south and Georgia and Armenia to the northwest and west.

Campaign posters for a 2008 plebiscite on Evo Morales’s presidency

Bolivia Country Study

Status: Partly Free

Freedom Rating: 66/100 | Political Rights: 27/40 | Civil Liberties: 39/60

Bolivia has had 40 years of civilian rule but faces significant challenges following a political crisis in 2019-20.

Democracy Web Logo

Botswana Country Study

Status: Free

Freedom Rating: 72/100 | Political Rights: 28/40 | Civil Liberties: 44/60

Botswana is Africa’s oldest continuous multiparty democracy, having held uninterrupted free elections since gaining independence in 1966.

Democracy Web Logo

Chile Country Study

Status: Free

Freedom Rating: 94/100 | Political Rights: 38/40 | Civil Liberties: 56/60

Chile, a country that spans a long length of territory on the Pacific Coast of South America, is a unitary presidential republic.

Democracy Web Logo

China Country Study

Status: Not Free

Freedom Rating: 9/100 | Political Rights: -2/40 | Civil Liberties: 11/60

Democracy Web Logo

China Country Study

Status: Not Free

Freedom Rating: 9/100 | Political Rights: -2/40 | Civil Liberties: 11/60

The People’s Republic of China is a unitary republic and one-party dictatorship. Freedom in the World has categorized the country as “not free” since the first survey in 1973 and today it ranks among teh least free nations.

Democracy Web Logo

Cuba Country Study

Status: Not Free

Freedom Rating: 12/100 | Political Rights: 1/40 | Civil Liberties: 11/60

Cuba is a unitary republic with a one-party dictatorship. Cuba has been ranked “not free” in all of Freedom House’s world surveys since 1973.

Democracy Web Logo

Estonia Country Study

Status: Free

Freedom Rating: 95/100 | Political Rights: 38/40 | Civil Liberties: 57/60

Estonia, among the world’s most free and economically dynamic countries, has a parliamentary system with a unicameral legislature.

Democracy Web Logo

France Country Study

Status: Free

Freedom Rating: 89/100 | Political Rights: 38/40 | Civil Liberties: 51/60

France has a mixed presidential-parliamentary government. Its history encompasses periods of absolutism, revolution, empire, constitutional monarchy and republicanism.

Democracy Web Logo

Germany Country Study

Status: Free

Freedom Rating: 93/100 | Political Rights: 39/40 | Civil Liberties: 54/60

The Federal Republic of Germany has a parliamentary democracy and a federal state, and has become one of the freer nations in the world.

Democracy Web Logo

Guatemala Country Study

Status: Partly Free

Freedom Rating: 46/100 | Political Rights: 17/40 | Civil Liberties: 29/60

Guatemala has had democratic elections since 1985 but struggled to overcome a legacy of military rule, corrupt government and poverty.

Democracy Web Logo

Indonesia Country Study

Status: Partly Free

Freedom Rating: 57/100 | Political Rights: 28/40 | Civil Liberties: 29/60

Indonesia is an archipelago nation between the Asian and Australian continents with, since 1998, a mixed presidential-parliamentary system with free, fair and regular elections.

Protestors take part during a demonstration in front of the Iranian embassy in Brussels, Belgium on Sept. 23, 2022, following the death of Mahsa Amini. Photo by Alexandros Michailidis

Iran Country Study

Status: Not Free

Freedom Rating: 11/100 | Political Rights: 4/40 | Civil Liberties: 7/60

The territory of Iran, previously known as Persia, was ruled by monarchical dynasties or occupied and dominated by foreign powers for nearly all of its recorded history.

2019 Meeting of the Israeli Knesset

Israel Country Study

Status: Free

Freedom Rating: 77/100 | Political Rights: 34/40 | Civil Liberties: 43/60

Israel's multiparty system is highly diverse, including representation for minority populations. But in recent years Israel’s democracy has faced a range of challenges.

Democracy Web Logo

Kazakhstan Country Study

Status: Not Free

Freedom Rating: 23/100 | Political Rights: 5/40 | Civil Liberties: 18/60

Kazakhstan is a presidential republic in Central Asia. Since its independence in 1991, Kazakhstan has not had democratic governance.

Democracy Web Logo

Kenya Country Study

Status: Partly Free

Freedom Rating: 52/100 | Political Rights: 22/40 | Civil Liberties: 30/60

Kenya is a presidential republic on the central eastern coast of Africa. Its mixed economy, once a model for Africa, today has high levels of poverty and corruption.

Democracy Web Logo

Malaysia Country Study

Status: Partly Free

Freedom Rating: 53/100 | Political Rights: 22/40 | Civil Liberties: 31/60

The Federation of Malaysia, consisting of two territories separated by the South China Sea, is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of government.

Democracy Web Logo

Morocco Country Study

Status: Partly Free

Freedom Rating: 37/100 | Political Rights: 13/40 | Civil Liberties: 24/60

The Kingdom of Morocco, located on the northwestern coast of Africa, is a semi-constitutional monarchy with a limited unitary parliamentary system.

William of Orange III and his Dutch army land in Brixham

Netherlands Country Study

Status: Free

Freedom Rating: 97/100 | Political Rights: 39/40 | Civil Liberties: 58/60

Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy with unitary structure.

William of Orange III and his Dutch army land in Brixham

Netherlands Country Study

Status: Free

Freedom Rating: 97/100 | Political Rights: 39/40 | Civil Liberties: 58/60

The Netherlands has a long history of free media, free political debate, free and fair elections and pluralist political competition. That tradition continues.

Democracy Web Logo

Nigeria Country Study

Status: Partly Free

Freedom Rating: 44/100 | Political Rights: 20/40 | Civil Liberties: 24/60

Nigeria, on the east coast of Africa, is a federal republic with a mixed presidential-parliamentary system.

Democracy Web Logo

North Korea Country Study

Status: Not Free

Freedom Rating: 3/100 | Political Rights: 0/40 | Civil Liberties: 3/60

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is a unitary republic with a highly repressive one-party dictatorship and among the worst violators of human rights.

Democracy Web Logo

Philippines Country Study

Status: Partly Free

Freedom Rating: 58/100 | Political Rights: 25/40 | Civil Liberties: 33/60

The Philippines is a constitutional republic with a presidential system. Democracy was restored in 1986, but recent presidents have eroded human rights and rule of law.

Political poster featuring Gary Cooper to encourage votes for the Solidarity party in the 1989 Polish elections. Tomasz Sarneck, 1989

Poland Country Study

Status: Free

Freedom Rating: 80/100 | Political Rights: 33/40 | Civil Liberties: 47/60

Since 1989, Poland has been a free and sovereign country following more than two centuries of foreign domination, occupation, and control.

Democracy Web Logo

Saudi Arabia Country Study

Status: Not Free

Freedom Rating: 8/100 | Political Rights: 1/40 | Civil Liberties: 7/60

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy and Islamic state, and is ranked among the “worst of the worst” dictatorships in the Freedom in the World report.

Democracy Web Logo

Singapore Country Study

Status: Partly Free

Freedom Rating: 48/100 | Political Rights: 19/40 | Civil Liberties: 29/60

Singapore, an island city-state with a parliamentary republic and authoritarian governance. Freedom House consistently categorizes the country as “partly free.”

Youth demonstration in South Africa

South Africa Country Study

Status: Free

Freedom Rating: 79/100 | Political Rights: 33/40 | Civil Liberties: 46/60

South Africa is a constitutional republic and parliamentary democracy whose president is chosen by the National Assembly, the popularly elected lower house of a bicameral legislature.

Supporters of the Alliance of Sudanese Political Forces (ASPF) protest in front of 10 Downing Street, London

Sudan Country Study

Status: Not Free

Freedom Rating: 10/100 | Political Rights: 0/40 | Civil Liberties: 10/60

Since gaining independence in 1956, Sudan has endured numerous civil wars and been governed mostly by military dictatorships.

Democracy Web Logo

Syria Country Study

Status: Not Free

Freedom Rating: 1/100 | Political Rights: -3/40 | Civil Liberties: 4/60

Syria, a constitutional republic located in the Middle East, is among the world’s most repressive dictatorships.

Democracy Web Logo

Tunisia Country Study

Status: Partly Free

Freedom Rating: 61/100 | Political Rights: 16/40 | Civil Liberties: 35/60

Tunisia, a North African country on the Mediterranean Sea, is now a presidential republic following a staged constitutional referendum in 2022.

Tens of thousands protested the demolition of Gezi Park in Istanbul’s Taksim Square in 2013

Turkey Country Study

Status: Not Free

Freedom Rating: 32/100 | Political Rights: 16/40 | Civil Liberties: 16/60

Turkey has a presidential-parliamentary system, now with dominant executive powers following a controversial 2017 referendum.

Democracy Web Logo

Uganda Country Study

Status: Not Free

Freedom Rating: 34/100 | Political Rights: 10/40 | Civil Liberties: 24/60

Uganda is a unitary republic with a presidential system. The current president came to power in 1986 and has governed in largely authoritarian manner.

Democracy Web Logo

United States of America Country Study

Status: Free

Freedom Rating: 83/100 | Political Rights: 33/40 | Civil Liberties: 50/60

The United States is a constitutional republic with a presidential system. It is the world's oldest representative democracy among nation states.

Democracy Web Logo

Uzbekistan Country Study

Status: Not Free

Freedom Rating: 12/100 | Political Rights: 2/40 | Civil Liberties: 10/60

Uzbekistan is a nation in Central Asia with a mixed presidential-parliamentary system, but in practice is a consolidated dictatorship.

Venezuelans wait in long lines to familiarize themselves with the new voting machines to elect the new national assembly on December 6, 2020.

Venezuela Country Study

Status: Not Free

Freedom Rating: 15/100 | Political Rights: 1/40 | Civil Liberties: 14/60

The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has a dominant presidential system and authoritarian government.

Democracy Web Logo

Vietnam Country Study

Status: Not Free

Freedom Rating: 19/100 | Political Rights: 4/40 | Civil Liberties: 15/60

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a unitary republic and one-party dictatorship. Since 1975, Freedom in the World has categorized the united country as “not free.”