Freedom of Association Index by country
Central estimate of the extent to which parties, including opposition parties, are allowed to form and participate in elections and the extent to which civil society organizations are allowed to form and operate freely.
Countries reporting
171
Highest
0.931
Sweden
Lowest
0.022
Cuba
Median
0.758
Years covered
237
1789–2025
Data points
30,011
What the numbers show
Freedom of Association Index is currently reported for 171 countries. The highest value is 0.931 in Sweden; the lowest is 0.022 in Cuba.
The median across all reporting countries is 0.758, and the mean is 0.6075.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 42.
Over the past decade 46 countries rose and 123 fell. The largest increase was in Thailand (up 236.0%), and the largest decrease in Afghanistan (down 96.3%).
Freedom of Association Index: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sweden | 0.931 | 2025 | down 0.4% | rising |
| 2 | Denmark | 0.929 | 2025 | down 0.1% | rising |
| 3 | Japan | 0.924 | 2025 | up 2.1% | volatile |
| 4 | Costa Rica | 0.922 | 2025 | down 2.3% | rising |
| 5 | Switzerland | 0.917 | 2025 | down 1.4% | rising |
| 5 | Iceland | 0.917 | 2025 | up 1.3% | flat |
| 7 | Spain | 0.915 | 2025 | up 1.6% | volatile |
| 7 | Norway | 0.915 | 2025 | up 0.8% | volatile |
| 9 | United States | 0.913 | 2025 | down 3.2% | rising |
| 10 | Ireland | 0.912 | 2025 | down 0.5% | rising |
| 11 | Estonia | 0.908 | 2025 | down 0.5% | volatile |
| 12 | Malta | 0.902 | 2025 | down 1.6% | rising |
| 12 | Uruguay | 0.902 | 2025 | down 0.7% | rising |
| 14 | Belgium | 0.896 | 2025 | down 0.6% | rising |
| 15 | Luxembourg | 0.895 | 2025 | down 0.2% | rising |
| 16 | Cyprus | 0.894 | 2025 | down 1.5% | rising |
| 17 | Taiwan | 0.892 | 2025 | up 1.6% | volatile |
| 18 | Colombia | 0.89 | 2025 | down 2.8% | rising |
| 19 | France | 0.889 | 2025 | down 0.2% | rising |
| 20 | Ghana | 0.888 | 2025 | down 1.4% | volatile |
| 20 | Latvia | 0.888 | 2025 | up 0.6% | volatile |
| 22 | Mauritius | 0.885 | 2025 | up 0.6% | rising |
| 22 | New Zealand | 0.885 | 2025 | down 2.7% | rising |
| 24 | Austria | 0.883 | 2025 | down 1.6% | volatile |
| 24 | Trinidad and Tobago | 0.883 | 2025 | down 1.2% | rising |
| 26 | Brazil | 0.882 | 2025 | down 5.8% | volatile |
| 27 | Suriname | 0.881 | 2025 | down 1.1% | rising |
| 29 | Barbados | 0.879 | 2025 | down 0.6% | rising |
| 29 | Jamaica | 0.879 | 2025 | down 3.3% | rising |
| 29 | Papua New Guinea | 0.879 | 2025 | down 0.2% | rising |
| 32 | Australia | 0.876 | 2025 | down 1.1% | rising |
| 32 | Dominican Republic | 0.876 | 2025 | up 5.4% | volatile |
| 34 | Italy | 0.875 | 2025 | down 4.0% | volatile |
| 35 | Cape Verde | 0.874 | 2025 | down 3.9% | volatile |
| 35 | Portugal | 0.874 | 2025 | down 1.9% | volatile |
| 35 | Solomon Islands | 0.874 | 2025 | up 9.2% | volatile |
| 38 | Lesotho | 0.873 | 2025 | up 4.2% | volatile |
| 39 | Czechia | 0.872 | 2025 | down 2.6% | volatile |
| 40 | Honduras | 0.871 | 2025 | up 8.2% | volatile |
| 41 | Namibia | 0.87 | 2025 | down 1.4% | volatile |
| 41 | South Africa | 0.87 | 2025 | down 3.5% | rising |
| 43 | Armenia | 0.869 | 2025 | up 28.7% | volatile |
| 44 | Montenegro | 0.868 | 2025 | up 5.0% | rising |
| 44 | Netherlands | 0.868 | 2025 | down 1.7% | rising |
| 44 | Nepal | 0.868 | 2025 | up 2.2% | volatile |
| 47 | Canada | 0.865 | 2025 | up 0.6% | rising |
| 48 | Finland | 0.864 | 2025 | down 0.7% | rising |
| 49 | Poland | 0.862 | 2025 | down 3.6% | volatile |
| 50 | Slovenia | 0.861 | 2025 | down 5.5% | volatile |
| 51 | Chile | 0.86 | 2025 | down 6.1% | volatile |
| 52 | United Kingdom | 0.859 | 2025 | down 4.7% | rising |
| 53 | Sri Lanka | 0.853 | 2025 | up 6.2% | rising |
| 54 | Germany | 0.852 | 2025 | down 2.2% | volatile |
| 55 | Botswana | 0.85 | 2025 | down 5.3% | volatile |
| 56 | Nigeria | 0.846 | 2025 | up 2.7% | rising |
| 57 | East Timor | 0.844 | 2025 | up 10.0% | volatile |
| 58 | Lithuania | 0.841 | 2025 | down 0.7% | volatile |
| 59 | Argentina | 0.839 | 2025 | down 4.6% | rising |
| 59 | South Korea | 0.839 | 2025 | up 0.6% | volatile |
| 59 | Slovakia | 0.839 | 2025 | down 4.1% | volatile |
| 62 | Sierra Leone | 0.837 | 2025 | up 3.8% | volatile |
| 63 | Guatemala | 0.834 | 2025 | up 2.6% | volatile |
| 64 | Bulgaria | 0.833 | 2025 | up 2.8% | volatile |
| 64 | Seychelles | 0.833 | 2025 | up 12.1% | volatile |
| 66 | Vanuatu | 0.829 | 2025 | down 6.6% | volatile |
| 67 | Guyana | 0.821 | 2025 | down 9.3% | rising |
| 67 | Croatia | 0.821 | 2025 | down 5.2% | volatile |
| 69 | Madagascar | 0.812 | 2025 | down 3.1% | volatile |
| 70 | Moldova | 0.81 | 2025 | up 8.0% | volatile |
| 71 | Liberia | 0.809 | 2025 | down 6.1% | volatile |
| 72 | Romania | 0.806 | 2025 | down 5.0% | volatile |
| 73 | Bolivia | 0.805 | 2025 | down 2.5% | rising |
| 74 | Greece | 0.801 | 2025 | down 13.5% | volatile |
| 75 | Paraguay | 0.8 | 2025 | down 1.5% | volatile |
| 76 | Senegal | 0.798 | 2025 | down 6.0% | volatile |
| 77 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 0.793 | 2025 | down 6.8% | volatile |
| 77 | Kenya | 0.793 | 2025 | down 6.5% | volatile |
| 79 | Malaysia | 0.791 | 2025 | up 19.7% | rising |
| 80 | Albania | 0.785 | 2025 | down 3.7% | volatile |
| 81 | Maldives | 0.777 | 2025 | up 32.6% | volatile |
| 81 | Peru | 0.777 | 2025 | down 9.1% | rising |
| 83 | Gambia | 0.775 | 2025 | up 57.8% | volatile |
| 84 | North Macedonia | 0.768 | 2025 | up 2.7% | volatile |
| 84 | Sao Tome and Principe | 0.768 | 2025 | down 1.0% | volatile |
| 86 | Malawi | 0.767 | 2025 | down 10.3% | volatile |
| 87 | Israel | 0.758 | 2025 | down 5.6% | volatile |
| 88 | Zambia | 0.746 | 2025 | up 4.0% | volatile |
| 89 | Fiji | 0.721 | 2025 | up 11.3% | rising |
| 90 | Ecuador | 0.719 | 2025 | up 7.2% | rising |
| 91 | Mongolia | 0.718 | 2025 | down 16.8% | volatile |
| 92 | Lebanon | 0.715 | 2025 | down 5.2% | rising |
| 94 | Philippines | 0.698 | 2025 | down 10.5% | rising |
| 95 | Thailand | 0.662 | 2025 | up 236.0% | volatile |
| 96 | Georgia | 0.646 | 2025 | down 24.1% | volatile |
| 96 | El Salvador | 0.646 | 2025 | down 28.5% | volatile |
| 98 | Indonesia | 0.638 | 2025 | down 15.8% | volatile |
| 99 | Benin | 0.619 | 2025 | down 26.7% | volatile |
| 100 | Jordan | 0.616 | 2025 | up 18.0% | rising |
| 100 | Tanzania | 0.616 | 2025 | down 12.1% | volatile |
| 102 | Cote d'Ivoire | 0.615 | 2025 | down 16.6% | volatile |
| 103 | Haiti | 0.612 | 2025 | down 17.3% | volatile |
| 104 | Angola | 0.61 | 2025 | up 3.2% | volatile |
| 105 | Bhutan | 0.609 | 2025 | down 3.6% | volatile |
| 105 | Gabon | 0.609 | 2025 | down 13.0% | volatile |
| 107 | Hungary | 0.605 | 2025 | down 26.1% | volatile |
| 109 | India | 0.586 | 2025 | down 22.2% | rising |
| 110 | Iraq | 0.578 | 2025 | down 15.9% | volatile |
| 111 | Serbia | 0.577 | 2025 | down 19.7% | volatile |
| 112 | Niger | 0.57 | 2025 | down 29.1% | volatile |
| 113 | Turkey | 0.565 | 2025 | down 19.3% | volatile |
| 114 | Morocco | 0.548 | 2025 | down 5.4% | volatile |
| 115 | Ukraine | 0.542 | 2025 | down 17.4% | volatile |
| 116 | Bangladesh | 0.535 | 2025 | down 4.5% | rising |
| 117 | Togo | 0.533 | 2025 | down 28.5% | volatile |
| 118 | Mozambique | 0.519 | 2025 | down 36.4% | volatile |
| 119 | Comoros | 0.509 | 2025 | down 32.8% | volatile |
| 119 | Guinea-Bissau | 0.509 | 2025 | down 32.5% | volatile |
| 121 | Libya | 0.508 | 2025 | down 11.8% | volatile |
| 122 | Pakistan | 0.495 | 2025 | down 32.7% | rising |
| 123 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 0.48 | 2025 | up 0.4% | volatile |
| 124 | Tunisia | 0.479 | 2025 | down 43.6% | volatile |
| 125 | Central African Republic | 0.458 | 2025 | down 7.8% | volatile |
| 126 | Somalia | 0.445 | 2025 | down 12.7% | volatile |
| 127 | Congo | 0.433 | 2025 | up 5.9% | volatile |
| 128 | Guinea | 0.424 | 2025 | down 33.8% | volatile |
| 128 | Zimbabwe | 0.424 | 2025 | down 28.6% | rising |
| 130 | Mauritania | 0.416 | 2025 | down 23.0% | volatile |
| 131 | Chad | 0.399 | 2025 | down 6.8% | volatile |
| 133 | Uganda | 0.379 | 2025 | down 26.7% | volatile |
| 134 | Ethiopia | 0.342 | 2025 | up 9.6% | volatile |
| 135 | Kyrgyzstan | 0.338 | 2025 | down 52.8% | volatile |
| 136 | Cameroon | 0.336 | 2025 | down 31.6% | volatile |
| 137 | Mali | 0.315 | 2025 | down 61.8% | volatile |
| 138 | Burkina Faso | 0.309 | 2025 | down 65.2% | rising |
| 139 | Algeria | 0.303 | 2025 | down 23.1% | rising |
| 140 | Yemen | 0.29 | 2025 | up 5.5% | volatile |
| 141 | Kazakhstan | 0.287 | 2025 | up 36.7% | volatile |
| 142 | Sudan | 0.242 | 2025 | down 29.9% | volatile |
| 143 | Burundi | 0.226 | 2025 | down 15.4% | volatile |
| 144 | Venezuela | 0.224 | 2025 | down 56.0% | volatile |
| 145 | Palestine | 0.216 | 1948 | unchanged | rising |
| 146 | Cambodia | 0.195 | 2025 | down 60.2% | volatile |
| 148 | Equatorial Guinea | 0.167 | 2025 | down 20.1% | volatile |
| 149 | Egypt | 0.159 | 2025 | down 3.0% | rising |
| 149 | Syria | 0.159 | 2025 | up 189.1% | volatile |
| 151 | South Sudan | 0.152 | 2025 | down 24.8% | volatile |
| 152 | Uzbekistan | 0.149 | 2025 | up 58.5% | volatile |
| 153 | Rwanda | 0.144 | 2025 | down 35.7% | volatile |
| 154 | Azerbaijan | 0.141 | 2025 | down 52.0% | volatile |
| 155 | Bahrain | 0.139 | 2025 | down 7.3% | volatile |
| 156 | Russia | 0.115 | 2025 | down 64.3% | volatile |
| 157 | Tajikistan | 0.106 | 2025 | down 47.0% | volatile |
| 158 | Myanmar | 0.105 | 2025 | down 83.2% | volatile |
| 159 | Iran | 0.093 | 2025 | down 26.2% | volatile |
| 160 | Belarus | 0.07 | 2025 | down 81.0% | volatile |
| 160 | Kuwait | 0.07 | 2025 | down 36.9% | rising |
| 162 | Vatican | 0.065 | 1870 | unchanged | volatile |
| 163 | Turkmenistan | 0.058 | 2025 | up 23.4% | volatile |
| 164 | Oman | 0.049 | 2025 | up 2.1% | rising |
| 165 | Laos | 0.047 | 2025 | down 6.0% | volatile |
| 166 | Nicaragua | 0.042 | 2025 | down 90.8% | volatile |
| 167 | United Arab Emirates | 0.04 | 2025 | up 17.6% | flat |
| 168 | Qatar | 0.039 | 2025 | down 9.3% | falling |
| 169 | China | 0.03 | 2025 | down 30.2% | volatile |
| 170 | Saudi Arabia | 0.026 | 2025 | down 3.7% | falling |
| 171 | North Korea | 0.025 | 2025 | up 19.0% | falling |
| 172 | Vietnam | 0.024 | 2025 | down 52.0% | falling |
| 173 | Afghanistan | 0.023 | 2025 | down 96.3% | volatile |
| 173 | Eritrea | 0.023 | 2025 | down 34.3% | volatile |
| 173 | Eswatini | 0.023 | 2025 | down 47.7% | volatile |
| 176 | Cuba | 0.022 | 2025 | up 4.8% | volatile |
About this data
Central estimate of the extent to which parties, including opposition parties, are allowed to form and participate in elections and the extent to which civil society organizations are allowed to form and operate freely.