Oregon — According to the 2024 Human Freedom Index, global levels of personal and economic freedom rose modestly in 2022 but remain significantly below pre-pandemic levels. The report, published by the Cato Institute and the Fraser Institute, evaluates 165 jurisdictions using 86 indicators across areas including rule of law, security, movement, expression, economic regulation, and trade.
The index ranks Switzerland, New Zealand, Denmark, Luxembourg, and Ireland as the freest jurisdictions. The lowest-ranked are Sudan, Myanmar, Iran, Yemen, and Syria. The United States and the United Kingdom are tied at 17th, while major nations such as China (150th) and Russia (139th) remain in the lower tiers of the index.
Although freedom levels declined sharply in 2020 and 2021—particularly in movement, assembly, expression, and monetary stability—2022 saw a slight rebound. Average global freedom scores rose from 6.73 in 2021 to 6.82 in 2022, though still below the 6.98 score recorded in 2019. The report notes that 87.4% of the world’s population lives in jurisdictions that saw a net decline in freedom between 2019 and 2022.
The index also highlights long-term trends. Freedom peaked between 2005 and 2007 before entering a period of gradual decline that accelerated during the pandemic. Authors note a strong empirical relationship between human freedom, democracy, and broader measures of well-being, including income, life expectancy, social tolerance, and environmental performance.
The report concludes that despite widespread declines, some jurisdictions showed improvement in both personal and economic freedoms, and ongoing measurement will help track whether governments restore or continue to extend the emergency powers adopted during the COVID-19 period.
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