Freedom Index by Country 2026
Switzerland 9.15
Highest Human Freedom Index score on a 0-10 scale, where 10 represents the most freedom.
Syria 3.27
Lowest
Human Freedom Index
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Countries Ranked by Freedom Index
- The CATO Freedom Index includes three metrics. The overall metric is Human Freedom, which is determined by combining the other two metrics, Personal Freedom and Economic Freedom.
- The Freedom Index takes roughly two years to compile. For example, the 2023 Freedom Index analyzed the state of world freedom in 2021, the 2024 index analyzed data for 2022, and so on.
- Coronavirus restrictions prevented the production of an annual Freedom Index update in 2020.
- Palestine data are for the West Bank only and do not include data for the Gaza Strip.
- The Internet Freedom Total Score is part of the Freedom on the Net dataset produced annually by Freedom House.
Key Findings
What Country Has the Most Freedom?
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Switzerland has the most freedom with the highest Human Freedom Index score of 9.15. The most free countries in the world are Switzerland (9.15), Denmark (9.03), and New Zealand (9.02).
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The freest countries tend to perform well across both personal and economic freedom, with strong civil liberties, open markets, and robust rule of law reinforcing one another.
Least Free Countries in the World
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Syria has the lowest freedom score at 3.27. The least free countries are Yemen (3.98), Iran (3.78), and Syria (3.27).
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Low freedom scores usually reflect layered restrictions across daily life, politics, and the economy, meaning residents often face limits on both personal choice and economic opportunity.
Where Does America Rank in Freedom?
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The United States ranks 15th globally with a Human Freedom Index score of 8.71.
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While the US scores well in economic freedom and expression, it ranks lower than many peer nations in areas such as rule of law, safety, and regulatory burden.
What Is the Freedom Index?
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The Freedom Index (formally the Human Freedom Index) measures personal and economic freedom across 165 countries using 86 indicators across 12 categories.
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Each country receives a score from 0 to 10, with 10 representing the most freedom. The index is co-published by the Cato Institute, Fraser Institute, and Liberales Institut.
World Trend Line
Global Freedom Index Trends
Global freedom scores can shift as political rights, civil liberties, economic regulation, and rule-of-law conditions change over time. Recent movements often reflect broad institutional changes rather than isolated policy differences.
Countries Ranked by Freedom Index
Country Comparison
Freedom scores vary widely across countries, with the highest-ranked nations combining strong personal freedoms with strong economic freedoms. Lower-ranked countries tend to face restrictions across several dimensions at once, creating a much wider gap than any single category would suggest.
Definitions & Methodology
What Is the Human Freedom Index? The Human Freedom Index is an annual report that measures personal and economic freedom across 165 countries using 86 indicators. It is published by the Cato Institute, Fraser Institute, and Liberales Institut, and the most recent report reflects data from roughly two years prior because the index takes time to compile.
Personal Freedom vs Economic Freedom Personal freedom measures civil liberties, legal protections, movement, religion, association, and expression. Economic freedom measures rule of law, sound money, trade openness, regulation, and the size of government. The overall Human Freedom Index combines both components into a single score.
The 12 Categories of the Human Freedom Index The Human Freedom Index evaluates 86 indicators across 12 categories: Rule of Law, Security and Safety, Movement, Religion, Association Assembly and Civil Society, Expression and Information, Identity and Relationships, Size of Government, Legal System and Property Rights, Sound Money, Freedom to Trade Internationally, and Regulation.
Last Updated: June 16, 2026
