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Since 1972, Freedom House has published Freedom in the World, an annual comparative assessment of the state of political rights and civil liberties around the world. Widely used by policy makers, journalists, and scholars, the 600-page survey is considered the definitive report on freedom around the globe. The ratings reflect global events from January 1, 2009, through December 31, 2010. According to the survey, global freedom deteriorated in 2009, marking the fourth consecutive year of decline. Latin America, Africa, the former Soviet Union, and the Middle East suffered the most marked drop in stability. The number of electoral democracies in the world declined from 119 to 116, the lowest number since 1995. Honduras, Madagascar, Mozambique, and Niger were removed from the list. In 2009, 89 countries were judged to be free. Their 3.1 billion inhabitants (46% of the world’s population) enjoy a broad range of rights. Fifty-eight countries representing 1.34 billion people (20%) are considered partly free. Political rights and civil liberties are more limited in these countries, in which corruption, dominant ruling parties, or, in some cases, ethnic or religious strife is often the norm. The survey found that 47 countries are not free. The 2.3 billion inhabitants (24%) of these countries, more than one-half of whom live in China, are denied most basic political rights and civil liberties. Six countries were downgraded in status: Lesotho moved from Free to Partly Free, and Bahrain, Gabon, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, and Yemen went from Partly Free to Not Free. There were some positive changes in 2009. Montenegro moved from Partly Free to Free, and Kosovo from Not Free to Partly Free.

  1. Countries are ranked according to political rights and civil liberties on a scale from 1.0 (most free) to 7.0 (least free).

Source: Freedom in the World, 2010, published by Freedom House. http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=410&year=2010.

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Since 1972, Freedom House has published Freedom in the World, an annual comparative assessment of the state of political rights and civil liberties around the world. Widely used by policy makers, journalists, and scholars, the 600-page survey is considered the definitive report on freedom around the globe. The ratings reflect global events from January 1, 2009, through December 31, 2010.

According to the survey, global freedom deteriorated in 2009, marking the fourth consecutive year of decline. Latin America, Africa, the former Soviet Union, and the Middle East suffered the most marked drop in stability. The number of electoral democracies in the world declined from 119 to 116, the lowest number since 1995. Honduras, Madagascar, Mozambique, and Niger were removed from the list.

In 2009, 89 countries were judged to be free. Their 3.1 billion inhabitants (46% of the world’s population) enjoy a broad range of rights. Fifty-eight countries representing 1.34 billion people (20%) are considered partly free. Political rights and civil liberties are more limited in these countries, in which corruption, dominant ruling parties, or, in some cases, ethnic or religious strife is often the norm. The survey found that 47 countries are not free. The 2.3 billion inhabitants (24%) of these countries, more than one-half of whom live in China, are denied most basic political rights and civil liberties. Six countries were downgraded in status: Lesotho moved from Free to Partly Free, and Bahrain, Gabon, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, and Yemen went from Partly Free to Not Free. There were some positive changes in 2009. Montenegro moved from Partly Free to Free, and Kosovo from Not Free to Partly Free.

  • FREE1 Ranking: 1 Andorra Australia Austria Bahamas Barbados Belgium Canada Cape Verde Chile Costa Rica Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Dominica Estonia Finland France Germany Hungary Iceland Ireland Kiribati Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Marshall Islands Micronesia Nauru Netherlands New Zealand Norway Palau Poland Portugal Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia San Marino Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Tuvalu United Kingdom United States Uruguay Ranking: 1.5 Belize Croatia Ghana Greece Grenada Israel Italy Japan Latvia Monaco Panama St. Vincent and the Grenadines South Korea Taiwan Ranking 2.0 Argentina Benin Brazil Bulgaria Dominican Republic Mauritius Mongolia Namibia Romania Samoa Sao Tome and Principe Serbia South Africa Suriname Trinidad and Tobago Vanuatu Ranking 2.5 Antigua and Barbuda Botswana El Salvador Guyana India Indonesia Jamaica Mali Mexico Montenegro Peru Ukraine PARTLY FREE1 Ranking: 3.0 Albania Bolivia Ecuador Lesotho Macedonia Paraguay Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Turkey Ranking 3.5 Bangladesh Bosnia-Herzegovina Colombia Comoros East Timor Liberia Malawi Maldives Molodova Mozambique Papua New Guinea Philippines Solomon Islands Tanzania Zambia Ranking 4.0 Burkina Faso Georgia Guatemala Guinea-Bissau Honduras Kenya Kuwait Lebanon Malaysia Nepal Nicaragua Sri Lanka Tonga Ranking: 4.5 Bhutan Burundi Haiti Kosovo Morocco Niger Nigeria Pakistan Singapore Thailand Togo Uganda Venezuela 5.0 Armenia Central African Republic Djibouti Ethiopia Fiji The Gambia Madagascar NOT FREE1 Ranking5.5 Algeria Angola Azerbaijan Bahrain Brunei Cambodia Congo (Brazzaville) Cote d’Ivoire Egypt Gabon Iraq Jordan Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Mauritania Oman Qatar Russia Rwanda Tajikistan United Arab Emirates Yemen Ranking 6.0 Afghanistan Cameroon Congo (Kinshasa) Iran Swaziland Tunisia Vietnam Zimbabwe Ranking 6.5 Belarus Chad China Cuba Guinea Laos Saudi Arabia Syria Ranking 7.0 Burma Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Libya North Korea Somalia Sudan Turkmenistan Uzbekistan

Andorra

Australia

Austria

Bahamas

Barbados

Belgium

Canada

Cape Verde

Chile

Costa Rica

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Denmark

Dominica

Estonia

Finland

France

Germany

Hungary

Iceland

Ireland

Kiribati

Liechtenstein

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Malta

Marshall Islands

Micronesia

Nauru

Netherlands

New Zealand

Norway

Palau

Poland

Portugal

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Lucia

San Marino

Slovakia

Slovenia

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Tuvalu

United Kingdom

United States

Uruguay

  • Ranking: 1.5 Belize Croatia Ghana Greece Grenada Israel Italy Japan Latvia Monaco Panama St. Vincent and the Grenadines South Korea Taiwan Ranking 2.0 Argentina Benin Brazil Bulgaria Dominican Republic Mauritius Mongolia Namibia Romania Samoa Sao Tome and Principe Serbia South Africa Suriname Trinidad and Tobago Vanuatu Ranking 2.5 Antigua and Barbuda Botswana El Salvador Guyana India Indonesia Jamaica Mali Mexico Montenegro Peru Ukraine

Belize

Croatia

Ghana

Greece

Grenada

Israel

Italy

Japan

Latvia

Monaco

Panama

St. Vincent and the Grenadines

South Korea

Taiwan

Ranking 2.0

Argentina

Benin

Brazil

Bulgaria

Dominican Republic

Mauritius

Mongolia

Namibia

Romania

Samoa

Sao Tome and Principe

Serbia

South Africa

Suriname

Trinidad and Tobago

Vanuatu

Ranking 2.5

Antigua and Barbuda

Botswana

El Salvador

Guyana

India

Indonesia

Jamaica

Mali

Mexico

Montenegro

Peru

Ukraine

  • PARTLY FREE1 Ranking: 3.0 Albania Bolivia Ecuador Lesotho Macedonia Paraguay Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Turkey Ranking 3.5 Bangladesh Bosnia-Herzegovina Colombia Comoros East Timor Liberia Malawi Maldives Molodova Mozambique Papua New Guinea Philippines Solomon Islands Tanzania Zambia Ranking 4.0 Burkina Faso Georgia Guatemala Guinea-Bissau Honduras Kenya Kuwait Lebanon Malaysia Nepal Nicaragua Sri Lanka Tonga Ranking: 4.5 Bhutan Burundi Haiti Kosovo Morocco Niger Nigeria Pakistan Singapore Thailand Togo Uganda Venezuela 5.0 Armenia Central African Republic Djibouti Ethiopia Fiji The Gambia Madagascar NOT FREE1 Ranking5.5 Algeria Angola Azerbaijan Bahrain Brunei Cambodia Congo (Brazzaville) Cote d’Ivoire Egypt Gabon Iraq Jordan Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Mauritania Oman Qatar Russia Rwanda Tajikistan United Arab Emirates Yemen Ranking 6.0 Afghanistan Cameroon Congo (Kinshasa) Iran Swaziland Tunisia Vietnam Zimbabwe Ranking 6.5 Belarus Chad China Cuba Guinea Laos Saudi Arabia Syria Ranking 7.0 Burma Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Libya North Korea Somalia Sudan Turkmenistan Uzbekistan

Albania

Bolivia

Ecuador

Lesotho

Macedonia

Paraguay

Senegal

Seychelles

Sierra Leone

Turkey

Ranking 3.5

Bangladesh

Bosnia-Herzegovina

Colombia

Comoros

East Timor

Liberia

Malawi

Maldives

Molodova

Mozambique

Papua New Guinea

Philippines

Solomon Islands

Tanzania

Zambia

Ranking 4.0

Burkina Faso

Georgia

Guatemala

Guinea-Bissau

Honduras

Kenya

Kuwait

Lebanon

Malaysia

Nepal

Nicaragua

Sri Lanka

Tonga

  • Ranking: 4.5 Bhutan Burundi Haiti Kosovo Morocco Niger Nigeria Pakistan Singapore Thailand Togo Uganda Venezuela 5.0 Armenia Central African Republic Djibouti Ethiopia Fiji The Gambia Madagascar

  • NOT FREE1 Ranking5.5 Algeria Angola Azerbaijan Bahrain Brunei Cambodia Congo (Brazzaville) Cote d’Ivoire Egypt Gabon Iraq Jordan Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Mauritania Oman Qatar Russia Rwanda Tajikistan United Arab Emirates Yemen

Bhutan

Burundi

Haiti

Kosovo

Morocco

Niger

Nigeria

Pakistan

Singapore

Thailand

Togo

Uganda

Venezuela

5.0

Armenia

Central African Republic

Djibouti

Ethiopia

Fiji

The Gambia

Madagascar

Ranking5.5

Algeria

Angola

Azerbaijan

Bahrain

Brunei

Cambodia

Congo (Brazzaville)

Cote d’Ivoire

Egypt

Gabon

Iraq

Jordan

Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan

Mauritania

Oman

Qatar

Russia

Rwanda

Tajikistan

United Arab Emirates

Yemen

Ranking 6.0

Afghanistan

Cameroon

Congo (Kinshasa)

Iran

Swaziland

Tunisia

Vietnam

Zimbabwe

Ranking 6.5

Belarus

Chad

China

Cuba

Guinea

Laos

Saudi Arabia

Syria

Ranking 7.0

Burma

Equatorial Guinea

Eritrea

Libya

North Korea

Somalia

Sudan

Turkmenistan

.com/world/statistics/freedom-2010.html

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Freedom in the World, 2007

  • Freedom in the World, 2007

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