Canada ranked 12th out of 165 countries/jurisdictions in the Human Freedom Index 2025, jointly published by Canada's Fraser Institute and the US Cato Institute. In the same ranking, Ukraine is 119th and the US is 15th.
An important nuance: despite the name “Index 2025,” it assesses freedom based on the most recent complete data up to and including 2023 (this is explicitly stated in the index materials and press release).
Global freedom is declining: what the index shows
The authors of the index note that freedom in the world has declined sharply since 2019, and after a partial recovery in 2022, the overall level of freedom did not increase in 2023 and is still lower than before the pandemic. On a scale of 0–10, the average score fell from 6.97 (2019) to 6.81 (2023).
According to the authors' calculations, the decline affected almost 90% of the world's population: the level of freedom decreased in 121 jurisdictions, increased in 42, and remained unchanged in 2.
The list of areas where many countries saw noticeable deterioration includes freedom of expression, freedom of assembly/association, freedom of movement, and indicators related to “sound money” (monetary stability/inflation risks).
Who are the leaders: top countries in terms of human freedom
The top 10 countries in the Human Freedom Index 2025 are (in this order):
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Switzerland
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Denmark
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New Zealand
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Ireland
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Luxembourg
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Estonia
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Finland
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Czechia
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Netherlands
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Australia
Canada ranks 12th: what does this mean?
12th place is Canada's position in the top ten percent of the ranking, alongside the most “free” countries in Europe and Oceania. For comparison, the selection of countries on the index page also includes: Taiwan (14), the United States (15), Germany (17), Japan and the United Kingdom (joint 19).
The authors note separately that the highest levels of freedom by region are demonstrated by North America (Canada and the US), Western Europe, and Oceania.
Ukraine ranks 119th
In the latest edition of the index, Ukraine ranks 119th out of 165 jurisdictions.
The index emphasizes that this is a composite indicator, which is compiled from a large set of indicators of personal, civil, and economic freedoms.
The US ranks 15th and shows a long-term trend
The US ranks 15th in the Human Freedom Index 2025. The press release also notes that the US is lower than in 2000 (when it ranked 8th).
The least free countries
The bottom five countries in the ranking (lowest positions) are Myanmar (161), Sudan (162), Yemen (163), Iran (164), and Syria (165).
How the Human Freedom Index is calculated
The index measures human freedom as a combination of personal/civil and economic freedom, using 87 indicators in 12 categories. These include: rule of law, security, freedom of movement, freedom of religion, expression and access to information, association and assembly, relationships/family freedoms, as well as economic freedom blocks.