January 2024
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2/2024

Social Research Foundation Global Freedom Scores

Prompted by the attention garnered from South Africa’ referral of Israel to the United Nation’s (UN) International Court of Justice, this report investigates the extent to which UN members and institutions represent liberal, democratic values.

It does so through the creation of a composite index as the measure of the extent to which economic and political freedom prevail amongst UN member states. The composite index is based on related indices produced by the Heritage Foundation, the Economist Intelligence Unit and Freedom House. Scores that rise above 70 in the composite index would indicate substantively free societies. 

United Nation’s Security Council Freedom Scores

Member Freedom House Index of Economic Freedom Democracy Index * SRF Global Freedom Ranking **
Switzerland 96 83.8 91.4 90.4
Japan 96 69.3 83.3 82.87
United Kingdom 93 69.9 82.8 81.9
Slovenia 95 68.5 77.5 80.33
Republic of Korea 83 73.7 80.3 79
Malta 89 67.5 77 77.83
France 89 63.6 80.7 77.77
United States 83 70.6 78.5 77.37
Guyana 73 56.9 63.4 64.43
Ecuador 70 55 56.9 60.63
Sierra Leone 63 50.2 50.3 54.5
Mozambique 45 52.5 35.1 44.2
Algeria 32 43.2 36.6 37.27
Russia 16 53.8 22.8 30.87
China 9 48.3 19.4 25.57
World average 55.5 59.9 52.9 56.1
UNSC Average 68.8 61.78667 62.4 64.33

* The scores were adjusted on account of the calculations to create the SRF Index

** In the Foundation's rankings countries needed to record a score of over 70 points to be defined as free

United Nation’s Human Rights Council Freedom Scores

SRF Global Freedom Scores Ranked from highest to lowest

Country (UNHRC) Index of Economic Freedom * Democracy Index ** Freedom house **** SRF Global Freedom Scores ****
Finland 77.1 92.9 100 90
Netherlands (Kingdom of the) 78 90 97 88.33
Luxembourg 78.4 88.1 97 87.83
Germany 73.7 88 94 85.23
Japan 69.3 83.3 96 82.87
Chile 71.1 82.2 94 82.43
Costa Rica 66.5 82.9 91 80.13
Belgium 67.1 76.4 96 79.83
Lithuania 72.2 73.1 89 78.1
France 63.6 80.7 89 77.77
United States of America 70.6 78.5 83 77.37
Bulgaria 69.3 65.3 79 71.2
Romania 64.5 64.5 83 70.67
South Africa 55.7 70.5 79 68.4
Argentina 51 68.5 85 68.17
Ghana 58 64.3 80 67.43
Albania 65.3 64.1 67 65.47
Dominican Republic 62.6 63.9 68 64.83
Brazil 53.5 67.8 72 64.43
Malaysia 67.3 73 53 64.43
Montenegro 60.9 64.5 67 64.13
Indonesia 63.5 67.1 58 62.87
India 52 70.4 66 62.8
Paraguay 61 58.9 65 61.63
Georgia 68.7 52 58 59.57
Malawi 52.8 59.1 66 59.3
Benin 59.8 42.8 59 53.87
Honduras 58.7 51.5 48 52.73
Bangladesh 54.4 59.9 40 51.43
Côte d’Ivoire 60.4 42.2 49 50.53
Gambia 57.9 44.7 48 50.2
Morocco 58.4 50.4 37 48.6
Kuwait 56.7 38.3 37 44
Qatar 68.6 36.5 25 43.37
Kyrgyzstan 55.8 36.2 27 39.67
United Arab Emirates 70.9 29 18 39.3
Kazakhstan 62.1 30.8 23 38.63
Algeria 43.2 36 32 37.07
Viet Nam 61.8 27.3 19 36.03
Cameroon 51.9 25.6 15 30.83
Maldives 46.6 0 41 29.2
Burundi 41.9 21.3 14 25.73
China 48.3 19.4 9 25.57
Sudan 32.8 24.7 10 22.5
Cuba 24.3 26.5 12 20.93
Eritrea 39.5 20.3 3 20.93
Somalia n/a 0 8 n/a
World average 59.9 52.9 55.5 56.1
UNHRC Average 59.7326086956522 54.3276595744681 56.2978723404255 57.53

* An index of economic freedom produced by the heritage foundation

** An index of democratic freedom produced by the Economist Intelligence Unit. The scores were adjusted to make them more comparable to the other third party indices in this table. 

*** An index of political rights and civil liberties produced by freedom house. 

**** A composite index of economic and political freedom. Scores that reach above 70 would indicate substantially free societies.

United Nation’s General Assembly Global Freedom Scores

Unnamed: 0 SRF Global Freedom Scores
Afghanistan 17.07
Albania 65.47
Algeria 37.27
Andorra 84.23
Angola 40.2
Antigua and Barbuda 78.77
Argentina 68.17
Armenia 58.47
Australia 85.63
Austria 82.03
Azerbaijan 33.03
Bahamas 79.6
Bahrain 33.23
Bangladesh 51.43
Barbados 83.73
Belarus 26.3
Belgium 79.83
Belize 76.07
Benin 53.87
Bhutan 58.47
Bolivia 51.5
Bosnia and Herzegovina 54.97
Botswana 71.4
Brazil 64.43
Brunei 44.6
Bulgaria 71.2
Burkina Faso 39
Burundi 25.73
Cabo Verde 78.1
Cambodia 37.43
Cameroon 30.83
Canada 86.83
Central African Republic 21.43
Chad 27.9
Chile 82.43
China 25.57
Colombia 66.77
Comoros 42.5
Congo 31.67
Costa Rica 80.13
Cote d'Ivoire 50.53
Croatia 71.8
Cuba 20.93
Cyprus 79.37
Czech Republic 81.2
Democratic Republic of the Congo 31.35
Denmark 89.13
Djibouti 35.83
Dominica 76.97
Dominican Republic 64.83
Ecuador 60.63
Egypt 32.3
El Salvador 54.2
Equatorial Guinea 24.17
Eritrea 20.93
Estonia 84.07
Eswatini 34
Ethiopia 33.67
Fiji 57.5
Finland 90
France 77.77
Gabon 36.7
Georgia 59.57
Germany 85.23
Ghana 67.43
Greece 74.2
Grenada 79.83
Guatemala 52.83
Guinea 35.47
Guinea-Bissau 37.73
Guyana 64.43
Haiti 36.33
Honduras 52.73
Hungary 65.5
Iceland 87.13
India 63.1
Indonesia 62.87
Iran 24.6
Iraq 33.47
Ireland 90.1
Israel 75.07
Italy 76.4
Jamaica 73.13
Japan 82.87
Jordan 41.17
Kazakhstan 38.63
Kenya 51.67
Kiribati 78
Kuwait 44
Kyrgyzstan 39.67
Laos 27
Latvia 78.17
Lebanon 41.67
Lesotho 59.83
Liberia 54.63
Libya 20.23
Liechtenstein 84.43
Lithuania 78.1
Luxembourg 87.83
Madagascar 58.97
Malawi 59.3
Malaysia 64.43
Maldives 41.97
Mali 38.6
Malta 77.83
Marshall Islands 80.63
Mauritania 43.87
Mauritius 79
Mexico 58.57
Micronesia 81.07
Moldova 62.3
Monaco 80.1
Mongolia 69.73
Montenegro 64.13
Morocco 48.6
Mozambique 44.2
Myanmar 20.97
Namibia 66.63
Nauru 68.47
Nepal 51.43
Netherlands 61.33
New Zealand 91.33
Nicaragua 32.97
Niger 47.33
Nigeria 46.4
North Korea 5.57
North Macedonia 64.23
Norway 91.67
Oman 37.9
Pakistan 42.57
Palau 78.77
Panama 71.97
Papua New Guinea 57.47
Paraguay 61.63
Peru 65.23
Philippines 61.53
Poland 73.03
Portugal 81.67
Qatar 43.37
Romania 70.67
Russia 30.87
Rwanda 35.4
Samoa 76.03
San Marino 88.27
Sao Tome and Principe 72.75
Saudi Arabia 29.03
Senegal 60.97
Serbia 62.27
Seychelles 69.5
Sierra Leone 54.5
Singapore 64.37
Slovakia 76.57
Slovenia 80.33
Solomon Islands 68.97
Somalia 15.77
South Africa 68.4
South Korea 79
South Sudan 14.93
Spain 78.57
Sri Lanka 56.97
St. Kitts and Nevis 89
St. Lucia* 76.35
St. Vincent and the Grenadines 77.25
Sudan 22.5
Suriname 64.87
Sweden 90.47
Switzerland 90.4
Syria 17.87
Tajikistan 25.67
Tanzania 49
Thailand 52.43
The Gambia 49.97
Timor-Leste 63.27
Togo 42.4
Tonga 72.13
Trinidad and Tobago 71.03
Tunisia 54.67
Turkey 44.13
Turkmenistan 21.7
Tuvalu 82.13
Uganda 43.97
Ukraine 50.8
United Arab Emirates 39.3
United Kingdom 81.9
United States 77.37
Uruguay 85.1
Uzbekistan 29.9
Vanuatu 72.43
Venezuela 21.03
Vietnam 36.03
Yemen 22.83
Zambia 53.27
Zimbabwe 32.07

Tentative Conclusions

The average SRF Global Freedom Score was 56,1. For the UN General Assembly 67 of 193 members saw scores above 70 points. At the UN Human Rights Commission just 27% of members had scores above 70 points. For the UN Security Council that figure was 53%.