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The Freedom House Annual Survey employs the Political Rights checklist to help determine the degree to which people can participate in the political process of their country. Each country is then rated on a seven-category scale, 1 representing the most free and 7 the least free. These 7 categories are laid out below. To purchase the Annual Survey print edition visit the store.

Country 2012 Political Rights Score 2011 Political Rights Score Democracy Rank 2012
Afghanistan 6 6 142
Albania 3 3 63
Algeria 6 6 98
Angola 6 6 122
Argentina 2 2 61
Armenia 6 6 103
Australia 1 1 9
Austria 1 1 15
Azerbaijan 6 6 129
Bangladesh 3 3 96
Belarus 7 7 138
Belgium 1 1 9
Benin 2 2 49
Bhutan 4 4 72
Bolivia 3 3 59
Bosnia and Herzegovina 4 4 77
Botswana 3 2 38
Brazil 2 2 50
Bulgaria 2 2 46
Burkina Faso 5 5 75
Burundi 5 5? 129
Cambodia 6 6 118
Cameroon 6 6 120
Country 2012 Political Rights Score 2011 Political Rights Score

Democracy Rank 2012

Canada 1 1 8
Central African Republic 5 5 112
Chad 7 7 133
Chile 1 1 20
China 7 7 124
Colombia 3 3 84
Congo, Republic of the 6 6 101
Costa Rica 1 1 23
Cote d'Ivoire 6 7? 118
Croatia 1 1 36
Cuba 7 7 121
Czech Republic 1 1 26
Dem. Rep. of the Congo 6 6 138
Denmark 1 1 2
Dominican Republic 2 2 67
Ecuador 3 3 68
Egypt 6 6 94
El Salvador 2 2 53
Eritrea 7 7 145
Estonia 1 1 17
Ethiopia 6? 6? 126
Finland 1 1 1
France 1 1 16
Gabon 6 6 111
Gambia, The 6? 5 125
Georgia 4 4 73
Germany 1 1 11
Ghana 1 1 35
Greece 2? 1 45
Guatemala 3 4 97
Guinea 5 5 114
Guinea-Bissau 4 4 107
Haiti 4 4 103
Honduras 4 4 110
Hungary 1 1 34
Country 2012 Political Rights Score 2011 Political Rights Score Democracy Rank 2012
India 2 2 50
Indonesia 2 2 62
Iran 6 6 142
Iraq 5 5 127
Ireland 1 1 13
Israel 1 1 31
Italy 1 1 28
Jamaica 2 2 40
Japan 1 1 29
Jordan 6 6 82
Kazakhstan 6 6 129
Kenya 4 4 94
Korea, North 7 7 150
Korea, South 1 1 33
Kuwait 4 4 80
Kyrgyzstan 5 5 122
Laos 7 7 140
Latvia 2 2 39
Lebanon 5 5 87
Lesotho 3 3 54
Liberia 3 3 84
Libya 7 7 115
Lithuania 1 1 25
Macedonia 3 3 58
Madagascar 6 6 103
Malawi 3 3 89
Malaysia 4 4 81
Mali 2 2 43
Mauritania 6 6 87
Mauritius 1 1 32
Mexico 3 3? 69
Moldova 3 3 63
Mongolia 2 2 50
Morocco 5 5 103
Mozambique 4 4 79
Myanmar 7 7 146
Namibia 2 2 41
Nepal 4 4 98
Netherlands 1 1 7
New Zealand 1 1 6
Nicaragua 5? 4 86
Niger 3 5 83
Nigeria 4 4 89
Norway 1 1 4
Country 2012 Political Rights Score 2011 Political Rights Score Democracy Rank 2012
Oman 6 6 93
Pakistan 4 4 112
Panama 1 1 36
Papua New Guinea 4 4 74
Paraguay 3 3 70
Peru 2 2 55
Philippines 3 3 57
Poland 1 1 24
Portugal 1 1 17
Romania 2 2 48
Russia 6 6 128
Rwanda 6 6 101
Saudi Arabia 7 7 117
Senegal 3 3 66
Serbia 2 2 47
Sierra Leone 3 3 63
Singapore 4 5 71
Slovakia 1 1 27
Slovenia 1 1 22
Somalia 7 7 147
South Africa 2 2 44
Spain 1 1 20
Sri Lanka 5 5? 107
Sudan 7 7 144
Sweden 1 1 2
Switzerland 1 1 5
Syria 7 7 140
Taiwan 1 1 30
Tajikistan 6 6 134
Tanzania 3 3 60
Thailand 4 5 89
Togo 5 5 115
Trinidad and Tobago 2 2 42
Tunisia 3 7 78
Turkey 3 3 55
Turkmenistan 7 7 149
Uganda 5 5 98
Ukraine 4? 3 109
United Arab Emirates 6 6 75
United Kingdom 1 1 13
United States 1 1 12
Uruguay 1 1 17
Uzbekistan 7 7 148
Venezuela 5 5 134
Vietnam 7 7 129
Yemen 6 6 136
Zambia 3 3 89
Zimbabwe 6 6 136




 

Is the head of state and/or head of government or other chief of authority elected through free and fair elections?

Are the legislative representatives elected through free and fair elections?

Are their fair electoral laws, equal campaigning opportunities, fair polling and honest tabulation of ballots?

Are the voters able to endow their freely elected representatives with real power?

Do the people have the right to organise in different political parties or other competitive political groupings of their choice, and is the system open to the rise and fall of these competing parties or groupings?

Is there a significant opposition vote, de facto opposition power, and a realistic possibility for the opposition to increase its support or gain power through elections?

Are the people free from domination by the military, foreign powers, totalitarian parties, religious hierarchies, economic oligarchies or any other powerful group?

Do cultural, ethnic and other minority groups have reasonable self-determination, self-government, autonomy or participation through informal consensus in the decision-making process?

Additional discretionary questions:

For traditional monarchies that have no parties or electoral process, does the system provide for consultation with the people, encourage discussion of policy, and allow the right to petition the ruler?

Is the government or occupying power deliberately changing the ethnic composition of a country or territory so as to destroy a culture or tip the political balance in favour of another group?
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