This is the first part of a three-part series exploring the alarming findings of the 2025 Freedom in the World report, a sobering look at how liberty faltered across the globe for the 19th consecutive year. In this opening installment, we dive into the big picture: 60 countries saw their political rights and civil liberties erode, while only 34 managed gains, against a backdrop of violent elections, raging conflicts, and authoritarian clampdowns.
BY PC Bureau
For the 19th year running, freedom around the globe took a nosedive in 2024, a troubling streak underscored by a new report from Freedom in the World. The numbers tell a stark story: “People experienced deterioration in their political rights and civil liberties in 60 countries, and secured improvements in only 34 countries,” the report states, painting a picture of a world where the scales tip heavily toward repression. From bustling cities to war-torn villages, the erosion of rights was driven by a toxic mix of election violence, armed conflicts, and authoritarian muscle-flexing, leaving millions with less say, less safety, and less hope.
The countries hit hardest paint a grim mosaic. El Salvador, Haiti, Kuwait, and Tunisia topped the list for the largest declines in freedom scores. In El Salvador, President Nayib Bukele’s iron-fisted crackdown on gangs—lauded by some for slashing homicide rates—came at a steep cost. “The rule of law has been demolished as authorities, under a ‘state of exception,’ have carried out extrajudicial killings and jailed tens of thousands of people without due process,” the report notes, highlighting how security gains traded away basic rights. Haiti, meanwhile, spiraled into near-anarchy as gangs seized control of 85% of Port-au-Prince, forcing Prime Minister Ariel Henry to resign amid chaos that killed over 4,500 and displaced 700,000. Kuwait’s emir dissolved an opposition-led parliament, and Tunisia’s President Kaïs Saïed tightened his grip, turning democratic backsliding into a freefall.
📣 NEW: #FreedomInTheWorld 2025 is now LIVE!https://t.co/V97a7SzbkF
Violence and repression around elections, ongoing armed conflicts, and the spread of authoritarian practices contributed to the 19th consecutive year of global freedom in decline.
60 countries saw the… pic.twitter.com/8lYfFdfPK8
— Freedom House (@freedomhouse) February 26, 2025
Yet, amid the gloom, glimmers of progress emerged. Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and Syria posted the year’s biggest gains. In Bangladesh, a student-led uprising ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina after a brutal crackdown killed over 1,500 protesters. “The ouster of Hasina’s Awami League government swiftly eased long-standing state pressure on other political parties, the media, labor unions, judges, university students, and faculty members,” the report explains, marking a seismic shift after 15 years of repression. Bhutan’s elections cemented its transition to a freer democracy, while Sri Lanka’s peaceful vote ushered in a reformist president. Syria’s sudden toppling of Bashar al-Assad in December—after 13 years of civil war—freed political prisoners and loosened stifling controls, offering a rare jolt of optimism.
The year 2024 stood out not just for its setbacks but for its unprecedented election fever. Sixty-six countries and territories held national votes, a global test of democracy’s resilience. But the results were a mixed bag. “In over 40 percent of the countries and territories that held national elections in 2024, candidates were targeted with assassination attempts or assaults, polling places were attacked, or postelection protests were suppressed with disproportionate force,” the report reveals. From Mexico, where cartels murdered candidates to sway outcomes, to the United States, where two assassination attempts marred the presidential race, violence cast a long shadow. In authoritarian states, the game was rigged from the start. “From Azerbaijan and Algeria to Russia and Rwanda, authoritarian incumbents had their political opponents arrested, imprisoned, or disqualified to eliminate even the slightest possibility of defeat,” the report says, stripping voters of real choice.
🇨🇳 China is rated Not Free in our 2024 #FreedomInTheWorld report.
The country’s authoritarian regime has become increasingly repressive in recent years, particularly under the rule of Xi Jinping.
Learn more: https://t.co/rUgNCSM5Vc pic.twitter.com/FABhYlaBwl
— Freedom House (@freedomhouse) March 29, 2024
Take Venezuela, where Nicolás Maduro clung to power despite a crumbling economy and a popular opposition. “Authorities disqualified the country’s most popular opposition leader, María Corina Machado, from July’s presidential poll and threatened those who participated in an opposition primary with criminal prosecution,” the report details. When Machado rallied support for a lesser-known candidate, Edmundo Gonzáles Urrutia, Maduro declared victory without evidence, then unleashed armed gangs and security forces to crush dissent. Thousands were arrested, a chilling reminder of how far autocrats will go to stifle freedom.
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Conflicts, too, played a starring role in freedom’s decline. “Ongoing civil wars and interstate conflict as well as violence perpetrated by armed militias, mercenaries, and criminal organizations undermined security and prevented the exercise of fundamental rights,” the report states, noting that one in five countries scored a zero for physical security. Sudan’s civil war displaced eight million and killed over 26,000, while Russia’s war in Ukraine saw North Korean troops join the fray, intensifying efforts to erase Ukrainian identity in occupied zones. In Gaza, Israel’s response to Hamas’s October 2023 attack obliterated rights alongside infrastructure, leaving the territory among the least free places on Earth.
Despite these setbacks, the report sees potential for a turnaround. “Positive developments demonstrated the potential for democratic breakthroughs,” it asserts, pointing to Bhutan’s rise to “Free” status and Syria’s unexpected opening. But the path ahead is daunting. “Global freedom faces serious challenges in 2025, including security threats from multiple armed conflicts, deepening repression in both entrenched and emerging autocracies, and democratically elected leaders who seek to advance their goals by overriding institutional checks on their power,” the authors warn. South Korea’s brief martial law scare and Mexico’s judicial overhaul signal that even democracies aren’t immune to backsliding.
The report closes with a plea for unity. “It is in the vital interest of all those who believe in democracy to invest in democratic institutions at home, call out attacks on rights abroad, work together to promote lasting peace, and support human rights defenders wherever they operate,” it urges. As 2025 looms, the world stands at a crossroads. After nearly two decades of decline, reversing the trend will take more than hope—it’ll take action, coordination, and a fierce commitment to the ideals that freedom promises. Will the world rise to the challenge, or will the slide deepen? The answer starts now.
