Freedom in the World 2023 evaluates the state of freedom in 195 countries and 15 territories during the calendar year 2024. Each country and territory is assigned between zero and four points on a series of 25 indicators, for an aggregate score of up to 100. The indicators are grouped into the categories of political rights (0–40) and civil liberties (0–60), whose totals are weighted equally to determine whether the country or territory has an overall status of Free, Partly Free, or Not Free.
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Percentage of countries regarded as free 1989-2024
In 2024, ** percent of countries in the world were classified as free by the Freedom House freedom in the world index. This was slightly higher than the previous year, but lower than in 2008, when nearly ** percent of the world's countries were regarded as free. ** percent were regarded as partly free, whereas the remaining ** percent were ranked as not free.
Freedom House's Freedom in the World Index measures political rights and civil liberties in every country in the world and is used by many scholars and researchers when measuring political freedom and the level of democracy in the world. However, the ranking has received criticism on different grounds, for instance, that its definition of democracy is too close to a Western understanding of the context.
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Freedom House. (February 26, 2025). Share of countries worldwide regarded as free countries from 1989 to 2024 [Graph]. In ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Retrieved July 28, 2026, from /statistics/681778/share-of-countries-considered-free-or-not-free/
Freedom House. "Share of countries worldwide regarded as free countries from 1989 to 2024." Chart. February 26, 2025. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Accessed July 28, 2026. /statistics/681778/share-of-countries-considered-free-or-not-free/
Freedom House. (2025). Share of countries worldwide regarded as free countries from 1989 to 2024. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc.. Accessed: July 28, 2026. /statistics/681778/share-of-countries-considered-free-or-not-free/
Freedom House. "Share of Countries Worldwide Regarded as Free Countries from 1989 to 2024." ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc., 26 Feb 2025, /statistics/681778/share-of-countries-considered-free-or-not-free/
Freedom House, Share of countries worldwide regarded as free countries from 1989 to 2024 ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, /statistics/681778/share-of-countries-considered-free-or-not-free/ (last visited July 28, 2026)
Share of countries worldwide regarded as free countries from 1989 to 2024 [Graph], Freedom House, February 26, 2025. [Online]. Available: /statistics/681778/share-of-countries-considered-free-or-not-free/
