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Military coups, violence against peaceful protestors, and efforts to weaken constitutional safeguards drove deterioration in 2025, which also marked the 20th consecutive year of decline in global freedom.
Global freedom declined for the 20th consecutive year in 2025. A total of 54 countries experienced deterioration in their political rights and civil liberties, while only 35 countries registered improvements. The biggest score declines were in Guinea-Bissau, Tanzania, Madagascar, Burkina Faso and El Salvador. The biggest improvements were recorded in Syria, Sri Lanka, Bolivia and Gabon.
The 20 consecutive years of decline in global freedom have been a boon for the world’s autocracies, which have swelled in number and hardened their repression. In 2005, 45 countries were rated Not Free; today, 59 are rated Not Free.
While respect for many fundamental rights has deteriorated during the last 20 years, media freedom, freedom of personal expression, and due process have suffered the heaviest impacts. Autocrats have not been the only culprits behind attacks on these rights. Leaders in democracies have tried to undermine oversight and restrictions on their power, weakening freedom of expression and the rule of law in the process.
Most people around the globe live in Partly Free and Not Free countries. 40 percent of the world’s population reside in a country that experienced a decline in political rights and civil liberties in 2025.
The US score declined by 3 points in 2025, bringing the total number of points lost since 2005 to 12. Following Bulgaria and Nauru, this is the third largest 20-year decline of any country still rated Free.
Most democracies remain resilient in the face of daunting challenges. Despite internal pressures and threats from foreign powers, democracies continue to demonstrate that their domestic political systems are responsive and capable of course correction. Of the 87 countries rated Free in 2005, a total of 76—more than 85 percent—have remained Free throughout the two-decade period of global decline.
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