US Records Lowest Score Ever on Freedom Index

A pro-democracy research group reported Wednesday that freedom in the United States has declined to its lowest level since the organization began its assessments, as President Donald Trump continues to exercise expansive executive authority.

According to Washington-based Freedom House, freedom eroded globally in 2025 for the 20th consecutive year, marking what the organization described as a “grim milestone” in democratic backsliding worldwide.

While the United States maintained its “free” status, its score fell to 81 points out of 100—the lowest rating since the survey’s 100-point system was implemented in 2002. The organization has been monitoring global freedom since 1972. The current score places the United States on par with South Africa and below numerous European allies, South Korea, and Panama.

Freedom House attributed the U.S. decline to “both legislative dysfunction and executive dominance, growing pressure on people’s ability to engage in free expression, and efforts by the new administration to undermine anticorruption safeguards.”

President Trump has significantly expanded presidential authority during his tenure, ordering the closure of entire government agencies and deploying armed, masked anti-immigration agents across the country. The White House has reportedly promised these agents impunity in their operations, raising concerns among civil liberties advocates.

The three-point decline experienced by the United States was matched by only one other “free” country—Bulgaria—where the 2024 elections were tainted by allegations of electoral fraud.

The global picture appears increasingly troubling, with only 21 percent of the world’s population now living in countries classified as “free.” Much of the recent democratic deterioration has occurred in Africa, where military coups, violence against protesters, and the weakening of constitutional protections have contributed to declining freedom scores.

Cathryn Grothe, a senior research analyst at Freedom House and co-author of the report, highlighted a concerning long-term trend: “Over the past two decades worldwide, many more have fallen into the ‘not free’ category than have democratized or moved up to that free category.”

“The world is getting less and less free and that middle area is shrinking, and then the free countries are staying relatively stable,” Grothe added, noting that this relative stability among free nations exists despite the U.S. score decline.

The report did contain some positive developments. Three countries—Bolivia, Malawi, and Fiji—were upgraded from “partly free” to “free.” Bolivia and Malawi held competitive elections, while Fiji strengthened its rule of law.

Among the 195 countries assessed, Finland stood alone with a perfect score of 100, while South Sudan received the lowest possible rating of zero. The steepest decline was recorded in Guinea-Bissau, where the military seized power last year and suspended an election process days after voting had begun.

Tanzania, Burkina Faso, and Madagascar also experienced significant drops in their freedom scores, while Syria and Sri Lanka showed modest improvements.

Freedom House, established in 1941 with bipartisan U.S. support, operates independently but has historically received U.S. government funding. Under the Trump administration, this funding has been sharply reduced as part of broader cuts to democracy promotion initiatives worldwide.

The report comes at a time when democratic institutions face mounting challenges globally, with authoritarian tendencies on the rise in both established and emerging democracies. Political scientists have expressed concern that this represents not merely a temporary setback but potentially a fundamental realignment in global governance, with serious implications for human rights, civil liberties, and international stability.