Freedom in Europe
44 countries and territories, on every statistic this site carries. Each row shows the region’s best and worst on that measure and the median between them.
Countries in Europe
Personal
What a person may say, believe, publish, join and where they may go.
| Statistic | Highest | Lowest | Median | Countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom of expression | Denmark 0.980 | Belarus 0.025 | 0.833 | 43 |
| Freedom of association | Sweden 0.931 | Belarus 0.070 | 0.862 | 43 |
| Civil liberties | Estonia 0.963 | Belarus 0.221 | 0.886 | 43 |
| Freedom from political violence | Iceland 0.989 | Belarus 0.160 | 0.951 | 43 |
| Equal protection of rights | Luxembourg 0.986 | Russia 0.312 | 0.815 | 43 |
| Academic freedom | Czechia 0.978 | Belarus 0.060 | 0.811 | 43 |
| Media censorship effort | Belgium 3.489 | Belarus -2.822 | 1.246 | 43 |
| Harassment of journalists | Denmark 3.764 | Russia -2.349 | 1.444 | 43 |
| Media self-censorship | Switzerland 3.157 | Belarus -2.209 | 1.121 | 43 |
| Universal right to vote | Albania 1.000 | Ukraine 1.000 | 1.000 | 43 |
| Legal rights for women | Belgium 100.0 | Russia 73.1 | 93.8 | 43 |
| Women can get a passport as men do | Albania 1.000 | Ukraine 1.000 | 1.000 | 43 |
| Access to justice for women | Albania 1.000 | Ukraine 0.000 | 1.000 | 43 |
| Access to justice for men | Albania 1.000 | Ukraine 0.000 | 1.000 | 43 |
| Civil liberties score | Finland 60.0 | Belarus 6.0 | 52.0 | 43 |
| Political rights score | Germany 40.0 | Azerbaijan 0.0 | 37.0 | 43 |
Economic
What a person may own, trade, earn and keep.
| Statistic | Highest | Lowest | Median | Countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trade openness | Luxembourg 349.9% | Russia 33.7% | 102.1% | 44 |
| Tax revenue as a share of GDP | Switzerland 9.5% | Denmark 33.4% | 21.9% | 37 |
| Government spending as a share of GDP | Switzerland 16.1% | Ukraine 65.6% | 35.5% | 32 |
| Foreign investment inflows | Cyprus 27.1% | Luxembourg -92.8% | 1.9% | 36 |
| Regulatory quality | Finland 85.8 | Belarus 35.4 | 65.4 | 44 |
| GDP per capita | Ireland $131.3K | Ukraine $16.2K | $43.4K | 44 |
| GDP growth | Ireland 12.3% | Finland 0.2% | 1.8% | 44 |
| Inflation | Turkey 34.9% | Cyprus 0.1% | 3.7% | 43 |
| Unemployment | Moldova 1.5% | Montenegro 13.6% | 5.7% | 42 |
| Income inequality | Turkey 43.700 | Slovakia 23.800 | 30.950 | 30 |
| Extreme poverty | Cyprus 0.0% | Georgia 5.8% | 0.4% | 30 |
| Government debt | United Kingdom 130.7% | Russia 17.9% | 44.0% | 10 |
Digital
What a person may read, send and encrypt online, and who is watching.
| Statistic | Highest | Lowest | Median | Countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Internet use | Denmark 99.8% | Moldova 77.4% | 90.8% | 43 |
| Fixed broadband subscriptions | France 48.9 | Armenia 20.3 | 34.8 | 42 |
| Mobile subscriptions | Montenegro 221.7 | Albania 89.1 | 125.2 | 40 |
Government
How power is held, checked and abused.
| Statistic | Highest | Lowest | Median | Countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electoral democracy | Denmark 0.913 | Belarus 0.163 | 0.768 | 43 |
| Liberal democracy | Denmark 0.884 | Belarus 0.038 | 0.645 | 43 |
| Rule of law | Denmark 0.997 | Azerbaijan 0.053 | 0.880 | 43 |
| Judicial checks on government | Denmark 0.984 | Belarus 0.006 | 0.841 | 43 |
| Legislative checks on government | Sweden 0.989 | Belarus 0.029 | 0.860 | 43 |
| Political corruption | Denmark 0.004 | Azerbaijan 0.890 | 0.166 | 43 |
| Civil society participation | Germany 0.979 | Azerbaijan 0.079 | 0.826 | 43 |
| Women’s political empowerment | Denmark 0.954 | Russia 0.546 | 0.896 | 43 |
| Voice and accountability | Norway 90.6 | Belarus 27.3 | 74.2 | 44 |
| Control of corruption | Denmark 94.2 | Russia 29.8 | 60.3 | 44 |
| Government effectiveness | Luxembourg 91.0 | Belarus 37.7 | 66.3 | 44 |
| Political stability | Iceland 86.5 | Turkey 49.3 | 71.4 | 44 |
Society
Health, schooling, safety and who takes part.
| Statistic | Highest | Lowest | Median | Countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Human Development Index | Iceland 0.972 | Ukraine 0.779 | 0.905 | 43 |
| Life expectancy | Switzerland 84.4 | Moldova 71.3 | 79.5 | 44 |
| Adult literacy | Georgia 99.7% | Georgia 99.7% | 99.7% | 1 |
| Secondary school enrolment | Finland 142.4% | Ukraine 86.2% | 102.6% | 26 |
| Government spending on education | Moldova 6.6% | Armenia 2.4% | 3.7% | 9 |
| Health spending | Germany 11.7% | Azerbaijan 4.3% | 8.3% | 42 |
| Health costs paid out of pocket | Luxembourg 8.8% | Armenia 80.5% | 21.8% | 42 |
| Maternal mortality | Belarus 1.0 | Georgia 20.0 | 6.0 | 43 |
| Women in parliament | Iceland 46.0% | Cyprus 14.3% | 33.5% | 43 |
| Women in the workforce | Moldova 72.3% | Turkey 37.1% | 55.1% | 42 |
| Fertility rate | Georgia 1.80 | Ukraine 0.99 | 1.42 | 44 |
| Urban population | Netherlands 95.9% | Moldova 43.7% | 69.7% | 44 |
| Refugees who left | Iceland 0.0 | Ukraine 13,524.0 | 3.9 | 42 |
| Population | Russia 143.5M | Iceland 392.4K | 6.5M | 44 |
Environment
Energy, emissions and access to power.
| Statistic | Highest | Lowest | Median | Countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CO₂ emissions per person | Albania 1.79 | Russia 13.99 | 5.08 | 41 |
| Renewable energy use | Iceland 82.4% | Azerbaijan 1.3% | 20.5% | 43 |
| Access to electricity | Albania 100.0% | Ukraine 100.0% | 100.0% | 43 |
Overlapping regions
These groupings share countries with Europe. A country can belong to several at once — Turkey is in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, the Balkans and the Mediterranean.