By: Staff Writer
June 19, 2026
The Freedom House’s Freedom in the World report for 2026 lists Haiti and Cuba as the only countries in the Caribbean listed as “not free,” in their rankings.
The Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador are listed as “partly free.”
Global freedom declined for the 20th consecutive year in Freedom House’s Freedom in the World 2026 report. Political rights and civil liberties worsened in 54 countries and improved in only 35. Only 21% of the world’s population now lives in countries rated as Free
The report said: “A total of 54 countries experienced deterioration in their political rights and civil liberties during the year, while only 35 countries registered improvements. Guinea-Bissau, Tanzania, Burkina Faso, Madagascar, and El Salvador had the largest one-year score declines, while Syria, Sri Lanka, Bolivia, and Gabon recorded the largest gains.
“Three countries—Bolivia, Fiji, and Malawi—improved from Partly Free to Free status thanks to competitive elections, growing judicial independence, and the strengthening of the rule of law.
“Among countries rated Free, the United States, Bulgaria, and Italy have experienced the year’s largest declines. In the United States, an escalation in both legislative dysfunction and executive dominance, growing pressure on people’s ability to engage in free expression, and the new administration’s moves to undermine anticorruption safeguards all contributed to the negative score change.
“The United States lost 3 points on the report’s 100-point scale, bringing its net decline since 2005 to 12 points, more than any other country rated Free during the same period except for Nauru and Bulgaria.”
The assessment covers events from January 1 through December 31, 2025. It evaluates 195 countries and 13 territories across 25 indicators, calculating scores on a 0 to 100-point scale that is equally divided between Political Rights and Civil Liberties.
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. Moreover, new democracies have repeatedly taken root under difficult circumstances, and aspirations for democracy routinely find popular support in even the most repressive environments.