Democracy Rankings by Country — 2026
199 countries ranked by composite democracy score. Each score combines Freedom House aggregate freedom ratings and World Bank voice and accountability indicators into a single 0-100 metric. Higher scores indicate stronger democratic institutions and civil liberties.
▶ How we calculate these rankings
The composite democracy score weights two data sources: Freedom House Aggregate Score (70%) evaluates political rights and civil liberties across 25 indicators, producing a 0-100 score where 100 represents the most free. Countries are also classified as “Free,” “Partly Free,” or “Not Free” based on score thresholds. Voice & Accountability (30%) from the World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators measures perceptions of citizen participation in government, freedom of expression, freedom of association, and free media.
When a data source is missing for a country, its weight is redistributed to the available source. Countries show how many of the 2 sources informed their score.
Top 25 Most Democratic Countries
Top 10 Most Democratic Countries
- 1
▶ Score breakdown (2 of 2 sources)
Freedom Score100/100Voice & Accountability94/100 - 2
▶ Score breakdown (2 of 2 sources)
Freedom Score99/100Voice & Accountability95/100 - 3
▶ Score breakdown (2 of 2 sources)
Freedom Score98/100Voice & Accountability96/100 - 4
▶ Score breakdown (2 of 2 sources)
Freedom Score99/100Voice & Accountability93/100 - 5
▶ Score breakdown (2 of 2 sources)
Freedom Score97/100Voice & Accountability95/100 - 6
▶ Score breakdown (2 of 2 sources)
Freedom Score97/100Voice & Accountability94/100 - 7
▶ Score breakdown (2 of 2 sources)
Freedom Score97/100Voice & Accountability93/100 - 8
▶ Score breakdown (2 of 2 sources)
Freedom Score97/100Voice & Accountability92/100 - 9
▶ Score breakdown (2 of 2 sources)
Freedom Score96/100Voice & Accountability94/100 - 10
▶ Score breakdown (2 of 2 sources)
Freedom Score97/100Voice & Accountability90/100
Ranks 11–50
- 11Australia94.1
- 12Belgium93.1
- 13Germany92.6
- 14Iceland92.1
- 15Austria91.9
- 15Uruguay91.9
- 17Portugal91.5
- 18Estonia90.8
- 19Japan90.0
- 19Slovenia90.0
- 21Barbados88.9
- 21Liechtenstein88.9
- 23Czech Republic88.6
- 24United Kingdom88.0
- 25Chile87.6
- 26Spain86.8
- 27Cyprus86.2
- 28Costa Rica86.1
- 28Italy86.1
- 30Marshall Islands85.8
- 31France85.5
- 32Cape Verde85.3
- 33Lithuania85.1
- 34Andorra84.5
- 35Micronesia84.3
- 35Palau84.3
- 37Slovakia83.9
- 38Bahamas83.7
- 38Kiribati83.7
- 40Latvia83.4
- 41Dominica83.2
- 42Saint Lucia82.9
- 43Malta81.8
- 44Saint Vincent and the Grenadines81.4
- 45Greece81.3
- 46Grenada80.1
- 46Saint Kitts and Nevis80.1
- 48South Korea79.0
- 48United States79.0
- 50Samoa78.7
Complete Rankings: 51–199
- 51🇵🇷 Puerto Rico78.4
- 52🇧🇿 Belize78.0
- 53🇲🇺 Mauritius77.7
- 54🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda77.0
- 54🇬🇱 Greenland77.0
- 56🇦🇷 Argentina76.7
- 57🇭🇷 Croatia76.2
- 58🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago75.6
- 59🇵🇦 Panama75.5
- 60🇷🇴 Romania75.3
- 61🇹🇴 Tonga75.2
- 62🇿🇦 South Africa74.6
- 63🇵🇱 Poland74.5
- 63🇻🇺 Vanuatu74.5
- 65🇯🇲 Jamaica73.6
- 66🇲🇳 Mongolia73.4
- 67🇸🇹 São Tomé and Principe72.9
- 68🇬🇭 Ghana72.6
- 69🇸🇨 Seychelles72.5
- 70🇳🇦 Namibia72.0
- 71🇧🇬 Bulgaria71.2
- 72🇸🇷 Suriname70.7
- 73🇮🇱 Israel69.9
- 73🇳🇷 Nauru69.9
- 75🇦🇼 Aruba69.6
- 76🇧🇼 Botswana67.5
- 77🇹🇱 Timor-Leste67.0
- 78🇧🇷 Brazil66.6
- 79🇸🇧 Solomon Islands66.2
- 80🇹🇻 Tuvalu65.1
- 81🇬🇾 Guyana64.0
- 82🇲🇪 Montenegro63.7
- 83🇨🇴 Colombia63.0
- 83🇩🇴 Dominican Republic63.0
- 85🇭🇺 Hungary61.8
- 86🇦🇱 Albania61.3
- 86🇰🇾 Cayman Islands61.3
- 88🇲🇰 North Macedonia60.4
- 89🇸🇳 Senegal60.1
- 90🇮🇳 India58.8
- 91🇲🇼 Malawi58.7
- 92🇪🇨 Ecuador58.5
- 93🇫🇯 Fiji58.4
- 93🇱🇸 Lesotho58.4
- 93🇵🇪 Peru58.4
- 96🇧🇹 Bhutan57.8
- 97🇱🇷 Liberia57.2
- 98🇲🇩 Moldova57.0
- 99🇧🇴 Bolivia56.6
- 100🇵🇾 Paraguay56.3
- 101🇳🇵 Nepal55.2
- 102🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea54.9
- 103🇧🇯 Benin53.6
- 104🇽🇰 Kosovo53.5
- 104🇲🇽 Mexico53.5
- 106🇬🇪 Georgia52.8
- 106🇮🇩 Indonesia52.8
- 108🇵🇭 Philippines52.5
- 109🇸🇱 Sierra Leone52.1
- 110🇷🇸 Serbia51.7
- 111🇲🇬 Madagascar50.6
- 112🇦🇲 Armenia50.2
- 113🇲🇾 Malaysia49.7
- 114🇿🇲 Zambia49.6
- 115🇱🇰 Sri Lanka48.7
- 116🇰🇪 Kenya47.9
- 117🇬🇲 Gambia46.8
- 118🇹🇳 Tunisia46.6
- 119🇸🇻 El Salvador46.1
- 120🇺🇦 Ukraine45.8
- 121🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina45.7
- 122🇸🇬 Singapore45.2
- 123🇨🇮 Côte d'Ivoire43.9
- 124🇭🇳 Honduras42.6
- 125🇲🇻 Maldives41.2
- 126🇬🇹 Guatemala40.4
- 127🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau39.1
- 128🇳🇬 Nigeria39.0
- 129🇲🇿 Mozambique38.6
- 130🇭🇰 Hong Kong38.4
- 131🇹🇬 Togo36.0
- 132🇧🇩 Bangladesh35.1
- 133🇲🇦 Morocco34.9
- 134🇰🇲 Comoros34.8
- 134🇲🇷 Mauritania34.8
- 136🇹🇭 Thailand34.5
- 137🇰🇼 Kuwait34.4
- 138🇹🇿 Tanzania33.6
- 139🇺🇬 Uganda31.2
- 140🇳🇪 Niger30.5
- 141🇯🇴 Jordan29.7
- 142🇵🇰 Pakistan29.5
- 143🇱🇧 Lebanon29.4
- 144🇹🇷 Turkey28.8
- 145🇩🇿 Algeria27.3
- 146🇦🇴 Angola26.7
- 147🇧🇳 Brunei26.4
- 148🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan26.0
- 149🇮🇶 Iraq25.9
- 150🇧🇫 Burkina Faso25.4
- 151🇲🇴 Macau25.0
- 152🇬🇳 Guinea24.5
- 153🇭🇹 Haiti24.1
- 154🇲🇱 Mali22.9
- 155🇿🇼 Zimbabwe22.7
- 156🇶🇦 Qatar22.2
- 157🇷🇼 Rwanda21.5
- 158🇴🇲 Oman21.4
- 159🇰🇿 Kazakhstan20.8
- 160🇬🇦 Gabon19.4
- 161🇩🇯 Djibouti19.0
- 162🇪🇹 Ethiopia18.3
- 163🇰🇭 Cambodia18.2
- 164🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates16.3
- 165🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo16.1
- 166🇻🇳 Vietnam15.7
- 167🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo15.4
- 168🇸🇿 Eswatini15.3
- 169🇨🇲 Cameroon14.8
- 170🇪🇬 Egypt14.4
- 171🇳🇮 Nicaragua13.0
- 172🇹🇩 Chad11.8
- 173🇧🇮 Burundi11.6
- 174🇷🇺 Russia11.3
- 175🇻🇪 Venezuela11.2
- 176🇨🇺 Cuba10.6
- 177🇺🇿 Uzbekistan10.5
- 178🇧🇭 Bahrain10.2
- 179🇱🇦 Laos9.4
- 180🇮🇷 Iran9.0
- 181🇱🇾 Libya8.1
- 182🇾🇪 Yemen7.7
- 183🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia7.2
- 184🇨🇳 China7.0
- 185🇦🇿 Azerbaijan6.5
- 186🇧🇾 Belarus5.7
- 186🇨🇫 Central African Republic5.7
- 186🇸🇴 Somalia5.7
- 189🇲🇲 Myanmar5.6
- 190🇸🇩 Sudan4.9
- 191🇦🇫 Afghanistan4.2
- 192🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea3.5
- 192🇹🇯 Tajikistan3.5
- 194🇪🇷 Eritrea2.1
- 194🇰🇵 North Korea2.1
- 196🇹🇲 Turkmenistan1.4
- 197🇸🇸 South Sudan0.7
- 197🇸🇾 Syria0.7
- 199🇧🇲 Bermuda0.0
Countries by Freedom Status
Free (81 countries)
FinlandNew ZealandNorwaySwedenDenmarkLuxembourgNetherlandsIrelandSwitzerlandCanadaAustraliaBelgiumGermanyIcelandAustriaUruguayPortugalEstoniaJapanSloveniaBarbadosLiechtensteinCzech RepublicUnited KingdomChileSpainCyprusCosta RicaItalyMarshall IslandsFranceCape VerdeLithuaniaAndorraMicronesiaPalauSlovakiaBahamasKiribatiLatviaDominicaSaint LuciaMaltaSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesGreeceGrenadaSaint Kitts and NevisSouth KoreaUnited StatesSamoaPuerto RicoBelizeMauritiusAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaCroatiaTrinidad and TobagoPanamaRomaniaTongaSouth AfricaPolandVanuatuJamaicaMongoliaSão Tomé and PrincipeGhanaSeychellesNamibiaBulgariaSurinameIsraelNauruBotswanaTimor-LesteBrazilSolomon IslandsTuvaluGuyanaColombiaLesotho
Partly Free (57 countries)
MontenegroDominican RepublicHungaryAlbaniaNorth MacedoniaSenegalIndiaMalawiEcuadorFijiPeruBhutanLiberiaMoldovaBoliviaParaguayNepalPapua New GuineaBeninKosovoMexicoGeorgiaIndonesiaPhilippinesSierra LeoneSerbiaMadagascarArmeniaMalaysiaZambiaSri LankaKenyaGambiaTunisiaEl SalvadorUkraineBosnia and HerzegovinaSingaporeCôte d'IvoireHondurasMaldivesGuatemalaGuinea-BissauNigeriaMozambiqueHong KongTogoBangladeshMoroccoComorosMauritaniaThailandKuwaitTanzaniaNigerPakistanLebanon
Not Free (56 countries)
UgandaJordanTurkeyAlgeriaAngolaBruneiKyrgyzstanIraqBurkina FasoGuineaHaitiMaliZimbabweQatarRwandaOmanKazakhstanGabonDjiboutiEthiopiaCambodiaUnited Arab EmiratesDemocratic Republic of the CongoVietnamRepublic of the CongoEswatiniCameroonEgyptNicaraguaChadBurundiRussiaVenezuelaCubaUzbekistanBahrainLaosIranLibyaYemenSaudi ArabiaChinaAzerbaijanBelarusCentral African RepublicSomaliaMyanmarSudanAfghanistanEquatorial GuineaTajikistanEritreaNorth KoreaTurkmenistanSouth SudanSyria
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Democracy Rankings: Common Questions Answered
▶Which is the most democratic country in the world in 2026?
Democracy rankings combine Freedom House aggregate scores (70% weight) and World Bank voice and accountability indicators (30% weight) into a single 0-100 score. The country at the top of this page holds the highest composite democracy score across both sources. Rankings update every 6 hours.
▶How is the democracy index calculated?
Each country receives a composite democracy score from two sources. Freedom House evaluates political rights and civil liberties on a 0-100 scale, contributing 70% of the final score. The World Bank's voice and accountability indicator measures perceptions of citizen participation, free expression, and media freedom, contributing 30%. When one source is missing, the other is weighted at 100%.
▶Is it safe to travel to non-democratic countries?
Democracy scores measure governance and civil liberties, not personal safety for travelers. Many countries with lower democracy scores are safe to visit as tourists. However, travelers should be aware that legal protections, press freedom, and individual rights may differ significantly. Always check the country-specific travel advisory for safety guidance.
▶What is the difference between political rights and civil liberties?
Political rights cover electoral processes, political participation, and functioning of government. Civil liberties cover freedom of expression, associational rights, rule of law, and personal autonomy. Freedom House scores both categories and combines them into an aggregate freedom score. Countries can score well on one and poorly on the other.
▶How often do democracy rankings change?
Freedom House publishes annual reports, so scores typically shift once per year. The World Bank updates governance indicators annually as well. Our rankings recalculate every 6 hours to incorporate the latest available data. Major political events like coups, elections, or constitutional changes can prompt mid-year reassessments by both sources.
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