Which country has the highest Human Freedom Index?

Switzerland has the highest Human Freedom Index in 2023, at 9.15, followed by Denmark (9.03) and New Zealand (9.02).

Which country has the lowest Human Freedom Index?

Syria has the lowest Human Freedom Index in 2023, at 3.27.

What is the median Human Freedom Index across countries?

The median is 6.88 across the 165 countries with data in 2023.

Where does this libertarian countries data come from?

Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: Human Freedom Index 2024 - CATO Institute; Human Freedom Index 2023 - CATO Institute; Human Freedom Index 2022 - CATO Institute; Here are the Top 5 Most Libertarian Nations in the World - Libertarian Republic.

Country rankings

Libertarian Countries

Name: Libertarian Countries
Creator: Rankodex

Switzerland has the highest Human Freedom Index in 2023 (9.15), followed by Denmark (9.03) and New Zealand (9.02). Syria has the lowest (3.27).

Politics & Government165 countries · 3 metricsUpdated Oct 12, 2025Original page

4 sources

Showing

Year

165 of 235 countries

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Human Freedom Index, 2023

Darker green is better (higher is better). Click a place to highlight it.

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Ranking

Best first: the first 15 and last 5 of 165 countries.

Distribution Median and middle halfThe median is the middle value: half of places are above it, half below. The middle half is the range holding the central 50% of places.More in the glossary →

Each dot is one country; the lines mark the median and the middle half.

Median

6.88

Middle half 5.69 – 7.89

Average

6.81

165 countries

Highest

9.15

Switzerland

Lowest

3.27

Syria

Over time · 2000–2023

The top 5 in 2023, against the median.

Median of all countries
Switzerland
Denmark
New Zealand
Ireland
Luxembourg

Data

Click a column to sort, a row to highlight that place on the charts.

165 countries · # = rank by Human Freedom Index

#
1	Switzerland	9.15	9.77	8.28
2	Denmark	9.03	9.75	8.02
3	New Zealand	9.02	9.51	8.33
4	Ireland	8.92	9.54	8.05
5	Luxembourg	8.88	9.57	7.92
6	Estonia	8.85	9.63	7.76
7	Finland	8.83	9.53	7.84
8	Czechia	8.82	9.69	7.61
9	Netherlands	8.81	9.4	7.97
10	Australia	8.79	9.33	8.03
11	Iceland	8.76	9.51	7.71
12	Canada	8.74	9.33	7.92
12	Sweden	8.74	9.58	7.56
14	Taiwan	8.72	9.22	8.03
15	United States	8.71	9.15	8.1
16	Norway	8.69	9.64	7.35
17	Germany	8.67	9.27	7.84
18	Portugal	8.62	9.28	7.71
19	Japan	8.6	9.16	7.83
19	United Kingdom	8.6	9.12	7.88
21	Malta	8.56	9.09	7.82
22	Austria	8.54	9.24	7.57
23	Belgium	8.53	9.21	7.58
24	Latvia	8.51	9.16	7.6
25	Chile	8.47	9.06	7.65
26	Lithuania	8.44	9.06	7.57
27	Cape Verde	8.41	9.14	7.39
28	Spain	8.37	8.83	7.73
29	Costa Rica	8.36	8.72	7.85
29	Cyprus	8.36	8.8	7.75
31	Italy	8.28	8.93	7.38
32	Seychelles	8.24	8.7	7.58
33	France	8.18	8.74	7.39
33	Uruguay	8.18	8.91	7.16
35	South Korea	8.15	8.59	7.53
36	Slovakia	8.14	8.71	7.33
36	Slovenia	8.14	8.95	7
38	Romania	8.06	8.59	7.32
39	Albania	8.03	8.36	7.56
40	Panama	7.92	8.13	7.64
41	Dominican Republic	7.9	8.27	7.37
42	Jamaica	7.89	8.19	7.46
43	Montenegro	7.86	8.37	7.16
44	Bulgaria	7.85	8.37	7.13
45	Croatia	7.83	8.47	6.94
46	Barbados	7.81	8.55	6.76
47	Bahamas	7.79	8.43	6.9
48	Poland	7.76	8.44	6.8
48	Mauritius	7.76	7.78	7.73
50	Greece	7.74	8.16	7.15
51	Singapore	7.73	7.19	8.5
51	Armenia	7.73	7.92	7.46
53	Hong Kong	7.68	7.05	8.55
54	North Macedonia	7.64	8.26	6.76
55	Mongolia	7.61	8.17	6.83
56	Moldova	7.55	—	—
57	Israel	7.52	7.56	7.46
57	Georgia	7.52	7.4	7.69
59	Namibia	7.5	8.3	6.38
60	Paraguay	7.49	7.78	7.08
61	Belize	7.48	8.54	5.99
62	Botswana	7.47	7.86	6.92
63	Fiji	7.45	8.43	6.08
64	Peru	7.44	7.53	7.3
64	Timor-Leste	7.44	8.48	5.97
66	Brazil	7.4	8	6.57
67	Hungary	7.37	7.59	7.07
67	Trinidad and Tobago	7.37	7.89	6.65
69	Bhutan	7.17	7.41	6.84
70	Malaysia	7.11	6.79	7.56
71	South Africa	7.07	7.4	6.61
71	Guatemala	7.07	6.69	7.62
71	Papua New Guinea	7.07	7.78	6.09
74	Serbia	7.06	7.41	6.56
74	Bosnia and Herzegovina	7.06	7.54	6.4
76	Ghana	7.05	7.93	5.81
77	Suriname	7.04	8.14	5.5
78	Benin	7.01	7.5	6.33
79	Honduras	6.99	6.98	6.99
80	Nepal	6.97	7.27	6.54
81	Colombia	6.91	7.28	6.38
81	Argentina	6.91	8.65	4.48
83	El Salvador	6.88	6.72	7.09
84	Guyana	6.86	7.85	5.47
85	Ecuador	6.85	7.22	6.32
86	Gambia	6.83	6.77	6.93
87	Bolivia	6.81	7.35	6.05
88	Madagascar	6.8	7.36	6.02
88	Zambia	6.8	7.21	6.24
90	Thailand	6.79	6.57	7.1
91	Mexico	6.72	6.58	6.91
92	Indonesia	6.67	6.47	6.96
92	Ivory Coast	6.67	7.09	6.08
94	Malawi	6.63	7.69	5.14
94	Jordan	6.63	6.04	7.46
96	Philippines	6.6	6.28	7.05
97	Kenya	6.59	6.53	6.68
97	Lesotho	6.59	7.05	5.96
99	Liberia	6.57	6.89	6.12
100	Tanzania	6.53	6.71	6.27
101	Mozambique	6.52	6.74	6.21
102	Senegal	6.49	6.73	6.15
103	Niger	6.47	6.9	5.87
104	Kyrgyzstan	6.43	6.33	6.56
105	Kazakhstan	6.38	6.06	6.84
106	Guinea-Bissau	6.37	7.13	5.32
107	Sierra Leone	6.34	6.88	5.6
108	Gabon	6.31	7.07	5.24
109	Burkina Faso	6.29	6.29	6.27
110	India	6.26	6.02	6.58
111	Togo	6.25	6.38	6.07
112	Sri Lanka	6.23	6.53	5.81
113	Kuwait	6.18	5.95	6.49
114	Cambodia	6.13	5.66	6.79
115	Angola	5.96	6.53	5.16
116	Brunei	5.92	5.08	7.09
117	Uganda	5.91	5.23	6.87
117	Lebanon	5.91	6.39	5.24
119	Ukraine	5.87	6.33	5.24
120	Haiti	5.85	5.74	6.01
121	United Arab Emirates	5.81	4.78	7.25
122	Oman	5.71	5.07	6.61
123	Nigeria	5.69	5.54	5.89
123	Tunisia	5.69	5.56	5.88
125	Rwanda	5.67	5.16	6.37
126	Mali	5.58	5.43	5.8
127	Mauritania	5.54	5.15	6.09
128	Qatar	5.49	4.61	6.71
129	Bangladesh	5.44	5.16	5.83
129	Morocco	5.44	4.76	6.38
129	Bahrain	5.44	4.04	7.41
129	Djibouti	5.44	4.96	6.1
133	Republic of the Congo	5.39	—	—
134	Vietnam	5.29	4.64	6.21
134	Azerbaijan	5.29	4.93	5.8
136	DR Congo	5.28	5.46	5.03
137	Pakistan	5.26	5	5.62
137	Guinea	5.26	4.83	5.87
137	Tajikistan	5.26	4.49	6.33
140	Belarus	5.2	4.69	5.92
140	Comoros	5.2	4.98	5.51
142	Eswatini	5.19	5.04	5.39
143	Cameroon	5.13	4.76	5.64
144	Turkey	5.1	4.87	5.44
145	Laos	5.09	4.68	5.65
146	Zimbabwe	5.02	5.82	3.91
147	Central African Republic	5	5.02	4.96
148	Saudi Arabia	4.97	3.55	6.95
149	China	4.93	4.08	6.13
150	Iraq	4.92	4.61	5.37
151	Somalia	4.87	3.86	6.28
152	Russia	4.86	4.7	5.09
153	Nicaragua	4.85	3.72	6.43
154	Chad	4.77	4.72	4.84
155	Ethiopia	4.7	4.49	5.01
156	Libya	4.67	4.57	4.8
157	Algeria	4.5	4.69	4.24
158	Burundi	4.48	4.11	5.01
159	Venezuela	4.44	5.39	3.11
160	Egypt	4.08	3.37	5.08
161	Myanmar	4.03	3.72	4.46
162	Sudan	3.98	3.97	4
162	Yemen	3.98	3.19	5.08
164	Iran	3.78	3.36	4.37
165	Syria	3.27	2.31	4.62

What correlates with Human Freedom Index (2023)?

Pearson r against 1,495 other country metrics sharing at least 99 countries. Ranks are read by standing: a better rank counts as higher, whether rank 1 is the best place on a list or the worst. Correlation is not causation.

Higher together

Places that have a higher Human Freedom Index tend to score higher on these (or rank better)

LP Personal FreedomLegatum Prosperity IndexA rank: rank 1 is the best
r = −0.93 · very strong · n = 159
Plot
Rights & RulesSocial Progress Index by Country
r = +0.93 · very strong · n = 157
Plot
EIU Civil Liberties ScoreDemocracy Index by Country
r = +0.93 · very strong · n = 156
Plot
Global Freedom ScoreFreedom Index by Country
r = +0.93 · very strong · n = 165
Plot
WJP RoLI Fundamental Rights ScoreWorld Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index
r = +0.92 · very strong · n = 134
Plot
Overall Democracy Index ScoreDemocracy Ranking by Country
r = +0.91 · very strong · n = 159
Plot

Opposite directions

Places that have a higher Human Freedom Index tend to score lower on these (or rank worse)

Civil Liberties Freedom RatingVoting Rights by Country
r = −0.92 · very strong · n = 157
Plot
Human RightsFailed States
r = −0.89 · very strong · n = 162
Plot
Political Rights Freedom RatingVoting Rights by Country
r = −0.88 · very strong · n = 157
Plot
State LegitimacyFailed States
r = −0.88 · very strong · n = 162
Plot
Vulnerability ScoreGlobal Slavery Index by Country
r = −0.83 · very strong · n = 150
Plot
Vulnerability Score (lower is better)Countries that Still Have Slavery
r = −0.83 · very strong · n = 151
Plot

Quick answers

Which country has the highest Human Freedom Index?: Switzerland has the highest Human Freedom Index in 2023, at 9.15, followed by Denmark (9.03) and New Zealand (9.02).
Which country has the lowest Human Freedom Index?: Syria has the lowest Human Freedom Index in 2023, at 3.27.
What is the median Human Freedom Index across countries?: The median is 6.88 across the 165 countries with data in 2023.
Where does this libertarian countries data come from?: Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: Human Freedom Index 2024 - CATO Institute; Human Freedom Index 2023 - CATO Institute; Human Freedom Index 2022 - CATO Institute; Here are the Top 5 Most Libertarian Nations in the World - Libertarian Republic.