Washington D.C. – The United States has reached its lowest-ever score in an annual global freedom assessment by the advocacy group Freedom House, falling to 81 out of 100, a decline attributed to the expansive exercise of executive power under President Donald Trump. The report, released today, marks the 20th consecutive year of global freedom decline, a “grim milestone” according to the organization.
Taiwan, however, maintained its status as a free nation, receiving a score of 93, second only to Japan in Asia, which scored 96. The island nation’s score dipped slightly from 94 in the previous year, receiving 38 out of a possible 40 for political rights and 55 out of 60 for civil liberties.
Freedom House’s assessment points to a confluence of factors driving the U.S. Decline, including “legislative dysfunction, an overreach of executive power, increasing pressures on the ability of citizens to exercise their freedom of expression, and the new administration’s rollback of safeguards against corruption.” The report specifically cites President Trump’s actions, including ordering the shutdown of government agencies and deploying masked, armed anti-immigration personnel nationwide, with promises of immunity from prosecution.
This 3-point drop mirrors the decline experienced by Bulgaria, where the 2024 elections were marred by allegations of fraud. The United States now shares its ranking with South Africa and falls below several European allies, South Korea, and Panama.
Globally, Freedom House finds that only 21% of the world’s population lives in countries designated as “free.” The most significant declines were observed in Africa, fueled by military coups, violence against protestors, and attempts to undermine constitutional protections.
“Over the past 20 years, the number of countries falling into the ‘not free’ category has far outstripped those achieving democratization or upgrading to freedom status,” said Cathryn Grothe, Senior Research Analyst and co-author of the report. “The world is becoming less free, the middle ground is shrinking, and while the U.S. Score has declined, the situation for free countries remains relatively stable.”
The report did highlight some positive developments, noting that Bolivia, Malawi, and Fiji transitioned from “partly free” to “free” status due to competitive elections and strengthened rule of law. Finland remains the only nation with a perfect score of 100, while South Sudan occupies the bottom position with a score of 0.
Guinea-Bissau experienced the largest score decline, following a military takeover last year and the subsequent suspension of the electoral process.
China received a score of 9, with -2 for political rights and 11 for civil liberties, remaining categorized as “not free.” Hong Kong was classified as “partly free” with a total score of 41, receiving 9 for political rights and 32 for civil liberties.
Founded in 1941, Freedom House operates independently with bipartisan support, though it has historically received funding from the U.S. Government. That funding has been significantly reduced under President Trump due to cuts in democracy promotion initiatives.