Freedom in the World, 2005

Since 1978, 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 2005 ratings reflect global events from Dec. 1, 2003, through Nov. 30, 2004.

According to the survey, 89 countries are free. Their 2.8 billion inhabitants (44% of the world's population) enjoy a broad range of rights. Fifty-four countries representing 1.2 billion people (19%) 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 finds that 49 countries are not free. The 2.4 billion inhabitants (37%) of these countries, nearly three-fifths of whom live in China, are denied most basic political rights and civil liberties. In 2004, Russia was the only country to register a negative category change, moving from partly free to not free.

The list below features only independent countries. Freedom House's separate listing of territories reveals that four territories received the lowest possible political rights rating: Chechnya (Russia), Kashmir (Pakistan), Tibet (China), and Western Sahara (Morocco); of those, Chechnya and Tibet also received the lowest possible civil liberties ratings.
FREE
* 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
* Italy
* Kiribati
* Liechtenstein
* Luxembourg
* Malta
* Marshall Islands
* Mauritius
* Micronesia
* Nauru
* Netherlands
* New Zealand
* Norway
* Palau
* Poland
* Portugal
* San Marino
* Slovakia
* Slovenia
* Spain
* Sweden
* Switzerland
* Tuvalu
* United Kingdom
* United States
* Uruguay
* Ranking: 1.5
* Belize
* Bulgaria
* Greece
* Grenada
* Japan
* Latvia
* Monaco
* Panama
* St. Kitts and Nevis
* St. Lucia
* St. Vincent and Grenadines
* South Africa
* South Korea
* Suriname
* Taiwan
* Ranking: 2
* Antigua and Barbuda
* Argentina
* Benin
* Botswana
* Croatia
* Dominican Republic
* Ghana
* Guyana
* Israel
* Lithuania
* Mali
* Mexico
* Mongolia
* Samoa
* Sao Tome and Principe
* Vanuatu
* Ranking: 2.5
* Brazil
* El Salvador
* India
* Jamaica
* Lesotho
* Namibia
* Peru
* Philippines
* Romania
* Senegal
* Serbia and Montenegro
* Thailand

PARTLY FREE
* Ranking: 3
* Albania
* Bolivia
* East Timor
* Ecuador
* Honduras
* Kenya
* Macedonia
* Madagascar
* Nicaragua
* Niger
* Papua New Guinea
* Paraguay
* Seychelles
* Solomon Islands
* Sri Lanka
* Trinidad and Tobago
* Turkey
* Ranking: 3.5
* Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Fiji
* Georgia
* Indonesia
* Moldova
* Mozambique
* Sierra Leone
* Tanzania
* Ukraine
* Venezuela
* Ranking: 4
* Bangladesh
* Colombia
* Comoros
* The Gambia
* Guatemala
* Guinea-Bissau
* Malawi
* Malaysia
* Nigeria
* Tonga
* Zambia
* Ranking: 4.5
* Armenia
* Burkina Faso
* Congo, Rep. of
* Gabon
* Jordan
* Kuwait
* Liberia
* Morocco
* Singapore
* Uganda
* Ranking: 5
* Bahrain
* Burundi
* Djibouti
* Ethiopia
* Nepal
* Yemen

NOT FREE
* Ranking: 5.5
* Afghanistan
* Algeria
* Angola
* Azerbaijan
* Bhutan
* Brunei
* Cambodia
* Central African Republic
* Chad
* Egypt
* Guinea
* Kazakhstan
* Lebanon
* Maldives
* Mauritania
* Oman
* Pakistan
* Qatar
* Russia
* Rwanda
* Tajikistan
* Togo
* Tunisia
* Ranking: 6
* Cameroon
* Congo, Dem. Rep. of
* Cote d'Ivoire
* Iran
* Iraq
* Swaziland
* United Arab Emirates
* Ranking: 6.5
* Belarus
* China
* Equatorial Guinea
* Eritrea
* Haiti
* Laos
* Somalia
* Uzbekistan
* Vietnam
* Zimbabwe
* Ranking: 7
* Cuba
* Libya
* Myanmar (Burma)
* North Korea
* Saudi Arabia
* Sudan
* Syria
* Turkmenistan

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, 2005, published by Freedom House. www.freedomhouse.org/research/survey2005.htm .

Global Trends in Freedom

Year Free Partly Free Free
1974 41 (27%) 48 (32%) 63 (41%)
1984 53 (32%) 59 (35%) 55 (33%)
1994 76 (40%) 61 (32%) 54 (28%)
2004 89 (46%) 54 (28%) 49 (26%)
Source: Freedom in the World, an annual comparative assessment of the state of political rights and civil liberties around the world, published by Freedom House. www.freedomhouse.org/research/survey2005.htm .

Information Please® Database, © 2006 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.


The Failed States Index

FOREIGN POLICY and the Fund for Peace have ranked troubled countries that are in danger of collapse. The countries are ranked according to twelve social, economic, political, and military indicators, including economic decline and inequality, demographic pressures, war, and corruption. A failed state is defined as “one in which the government does not have effective control of its territory, is not perceived as legitimate by a significant portion of its population, does not provide domestic security or basic public services to its citizens, and lacks a monopoly on the use of force.” The indexes countries at risk, not countries that have already failed. Below are the top 20 most vulnerable countries.

* 1. Sudan ( Darfur/ Janjaweed Issues/ State Sponsored Terrorism)
* 2. Dem. Rep. of the Congo
* 3. Côte D'Ivoire
* 4. Iraq (Under US Occupation)
* 5. Zimbabwe
* 6. Chad
* 7. Somalia
* 8. Haiti
* 9. Pakistan (Under military dictatorship sponsored by the US)
* 10. Afghanistan (Under US control)
* 11. Guinea
* 12. Liberia (Recently elected the First Woman President in Africa)
* 13. Central African Rep.
* 14. North Korea
* 15. Burundi
* 16. Yemen
* 17. Sierra Leone
* 18. Myanmar (Aung San Suu Kyi, still in house arrest, passed over ASEAN chairmanship due to pressure from other members, EU and the US)
* 19. Bangladesh
* 20. Nepal (Under civil unrest, King Gyanendra still effectively control the state, Maoist attacks and figure prominently in recent protests)

Source: The Fund for Peace www.fundforpeace.org , 2006.