According to a new report, 2025 marks the 19th consecutive year of decline in global freedom. Violence and armed conflict were cited as the main reasons, with 20% of the world’s population currently living without minimal protection from the violence of war and crime.
The Freedom in the World 2025 report, produced by Freedom House, tracks global trends in political rights and civil liberties. This year, it determined that the main reasons for the consistent decline were violent conflict and political instability. It further showed that ethnic and religious minorities were especially vulnerable.
The Human Freedom Index, co-published by the Cato Institute and the Fraser Institute, calculates the Human Freedom score of each country based on its personal and economic freedom. The nations in this gallery scored the lowest in 2024.
Click on to discover the 30 least free countries in the world.