Freedom Ratings
|
1981 |
1982 |
1983 |
1984 |
1985 |
1986 |
1987 |
1988 |
1989 |
1990 |
1991 |
1992 |
1993 |
1994 |
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
|||
|
Antigua & Barbuda |
4 |
4 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
6 |
6 |
7 |
7 |
7 |
7 |
7 |
Partly Free |
|
|
Bahamas |
3 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
Free |
|
|
Barbados |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
Free |
|
|
Belize |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
Free |
|
|
Cuba |
12 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
Not Free |
|
|
Dominica |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
Free |
|
|
Dominican Republic |
5 |
5 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
7 |
6 |
6 |
Partly Free |
|
|
Grenada |
10 |
11 |
11 |
13 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
Free |
|
|
Guyana |
8 |
9 |
9 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
9 |
9 |
9 |
6 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
Free |
|
|
Haiti |
12 |
13 |
13 |
13 |
13 |
9 |
11 |
12 |
12 |
8 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
10 |
10 |
9 |
9 |
Partly Free |
|
|
Jamaica |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
Free |
|
|
St. Kitts & Nevis |
5 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
Free |
|
|
St. Lucia |
5 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
Free |
|
|
St. Vincent & Grenadines |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
Free |
|
|
Suriname |
12 |
12 |
13 |
13 |
12 |
12 |
8 |
5 |
6 |
10 |
8 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
Partly Free |
|
|
Trinidad & Tobago |
4 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
Free |
|
|
Caribbean |
6.1 |
6.3 |
6.3 |
6.4 |
5.7 |
5.3 |
5.1 |
5.1 |
5.1 |
5.1 |
5.3 |
4.9 |
4.9 |
4.9 |
4.8 |
4.7 |
4.7 |
Free |
|
|
Costa Rica |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
Free |
|
|
El Salvador |
10 |
10 |
9 |
9 |
6 |
7 |
7 |
6 |
7 |
7 |
7 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
5 |
Free |
|
|
Guatemala |
11 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
8 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
9 |
9 |
9 |
7 |
7 |
Partly Free |
|
|
Honduras |
7 |
6 |
5 |
6 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
5 |
Free |
|
|
Nicaragua |
10 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
10 |
11 |
10 |
9 |
10 |
6 |
6 |
7 |
9 |
9 |
8 |
6 |
6 |
Partly Free |
|
|
Panama |
8 |
8 |
10 |
9 |
9 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
13 |
6 |
6 |
7 |
6 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
Free |
|
|
Central America |
8.0 |
8.2 |
8.2 |
8.2 |
6.7 |
6.7 |
6.7 |
6.5 |
7.2 |
5.5 |
5.7 |
6.0 |
6.5 |
6.3 |
6.2 |
5.5 |
5.2 |
Free |
|
|
Argentina |
11 |
11 |
11 |
6 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
Free |
|
|
Bolivia |
12 |
12 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
6 |
5 |
4 |
Free |
|
|
Brazil |
7 |
7 |
6 |
6 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
4 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
7 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
7 |
Partly Free |
|
|
Chile |
11 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
9 |
7 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
Free |
|
|
Colombia |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
7 |
7 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
Partly Free |
|
|
Ecuador |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
6 |
6 |
Partly Free |
|
|
Paraguay |
10 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
11 |
11 |
12 |
7 |
7 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
7 |
7 |
7 |
7 |
Partly Free |
|
|
Peru |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
11 |
10 |
9 |
9 |
7 |
9 |
Partly Free |
|
|
Uruguay |
10 |
10 |
9 |
9 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
Free |
|
|
Venezuela |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
5 |
5 |
Free |
|
|
South America |
7.8 |
7.8 |
6.9 |
6.4 |
5.7 |
5.6 |
5.6 |
5.5 |
5.0 |
5.0 |
5.0 |
5.6 |
5.8 |
5.8 |
6.0 |
5.6 |
5.8 |
Partly Free |
|
|
Mexico |
7 |
7 |
7 |
7 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
7 |
7 |
8 |
8 |
7 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
7 |
7 |
Partly Free |
|
|
LAC |
7.0 |
7.1 |
6.8 |
6.7 |
6.0 |
5.9 |
5.8 |
5.7 |
5.7 |
5.2 |
5.3 |
5.5 |
5.7 |
5.7 |
5.7 |
5.3 |
5.2 |
Free |
|
|
Rating Scale |
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Freedom is rated between 2 and 14 based on political rights and civil liberties: |
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Free: 2-5; Partly Free 6-10; Not Free 11-14 |
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Source: Freedom House, Comparative Survey of Freedom 1998, Washington, D.C., 1998.
Definition: As defined by Freedom House, freedom encompasses two sets of characteristics grouped under political rights and civil liberties. Political rights enable people to participate freely in the political pr ocess. In this case, political process refers to the system by which the polity chooses the authoritative policy makers and attempts to make binding decisions affecting the national, regional or local community. A system is genuinely free or democratic to the extent that the people have a choice in determining the nature of the system and its leaders. Civil liberties are the freedoms to develop views, institutions and personal autonomy apart from the state.
Notes: For each country and year a composite freedom rating is shown. The composite score for freedom is rated between 2 and 14. Countries are placed in three broad categories based on these scores: free: 2-5, partly free: 6-10; and not free: 11-14. Regional averages are not weighted.
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