Global freedom’s sharp post-2019 decline followed a long-term slide from the 2007 peak; four years after the pandemic began, the level of freedom remains far below that of the early 2000s.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — December 16, 2025 — Global human freedom deteriorated sharply in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and remains well below pre-pandemic levels four years after the outbreak, according to the Human Freedom Index 2025, co-published today by the Cato Institute and the Fraser Institute in Canada.

The report shows that average human freedom ratings fell, on a scale of 0–10, from 6.97 in 2019 to 6.81 in 2023, the most recent year for which comprehensive data are available. This decline affected nearly 90 percent of the world’s population, with freedom levels falling in 121 jurisdictions, rising in 42, and remaining unchanged in 2.

The United States ranked 15th, down from 8th place in 2000. Other notable rankings include the United Kingdom (19th), France (33rd), India (110th), China (149th), and Russia (152nd).

Top 5 Jurisdictions: Bottom 5 Jurisdictions:
1. Switzerland
2. Denmark
3. New Zealand
4. Ireland
5. Luxembourg 		161. Myanmar
162. Sudan
163. Yemen
164. Iran
165. Syria

The Human Freedom Index measures economic, personal, and civil freedom in 165 countries using 87 distinct indicators across 12 categories, including rule of law, security and safety, freedom of movement, religion, expression and information, association and assembly, relationship freedoms, and economic freedoms. Most areas of freedom declined during the pandemic period, with continued significant drops in freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, and notable reductions in freedom of movement and sound money.

The data also highlight deep global inequality in freedom. Only 13.8 percent of the world’s population lives in the top quartile of jurisdictions ranked by the index, while 39.4 percent lives in the bottom quartile. North America, Western Europe, and Oceania enjoy the highest levels of freedom, whereas the Middle East and North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, and South Asia score lowest.

“Freedom holds inherent value and plays a central role in human progress,” according to Ian Vásquez, vice president for international studies at the Cato Institute. The report finds a strong link between freedom and a range of indicators of well-being, including social tolerance, charitable giving, lower corruption, and greater innovation.

“At a time when so many countries are adopting illiberal policies, we believe it is especially important to measure freedom carefully,” said Vásquez.

The Human Freedom Index draws on more than two decades of data, beginning in 2000, making it the most comprehensive freedom index available for a globally meaningful set of countries and territories.

The index is coauthored by Ian Vásquez, vice president for international studies at the Cato Institute; Matthew Mitchell, senior fellow in the Centre for Human Freedom at the Fraser Institute; Ryan Murphy, research associate professor in the Bridwell Institute for Economic Freedom at the SMU Cox School of Business; and Guillermina Sutter Schneider, a data scientist and information designer based in Berlin.

About the Cato Institute

The Cato Institute is a public policy research organization dedicated to the principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace. Founded in 1977, Cato works to create a free and open society in which liberty allows every individual to pursue a life of prosperity and meaning in peace.

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