placestats

Countries With the Lowest Freedom of Association

Every country with a figure for freedom of association, ranked from lowest to highest. The top three are Cuba (0.022), Afghanistan (0.023) and Eritrea (0.023). The middle country of the 175 has 0.758.

What this measures

Freedom of association index, in index (0-1). Source: V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg. For this measure, higher is better.

Whether parties and civic groups may form and operate freely. A part of the electoral democracy index.

The full ranking

Each country’s latest figure, from 2025–2025. The year beside each value says when it was measured.

RankCountryFreedom of associationYearRegion
1Cuba0.0222025Latin America & Caribbean
2Afghanistan0.0232025Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
3Eritrea0.0232025Sub-Saharan Africa
4Eswatini0.0232025Sub-Saharan Africa
5Viet Nam0.0242025East Asia & Pacific
6Korea, Dem. People's Rep.0.0252025East Asia & Pacific
7Saudi Arabia0.0262025Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
8China0.032025East Asia & Pacific
9Qatar0.0392025Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
10United Arab Emirates0.042025Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
11Nicaragua0.0422025Latin America & Caribbean
12Lao PDR0.0472025East Asia & Pacific
13Oman0.0492025Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
14Turkmenistan0.0582025Europe & Central Asia
15Belarus0.072025Europe & Central Asia
16Kuwait0.072025Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
17Iran, Islamic Rep.0.0932025Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
18Myanmar0.1052025East Asia & Pacific
19Tajikistan0.1062025Europe & Central Asia
20Russian Federation0.1152025Europe & Central Asia
21Bahrain0.1392025Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
22Azerbaijan0.1412025Europe & Central Asia
23Rwanda0.1442025Sub-Saharan Africa
24Uzbekistan0.1492025Europe & Central Asia
25South Sudan0.1522025Sub-Saharan Africa
26Egypt, Arab Rep.0.1592025Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
27Syrian Arab Republic0.1592025Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
28Equatorial Guinea0.1672025Sub-Saharan Africa
29Hong Kong SAR, China0.1782025East Asia & Pacific
30Cambodia0.1952025East Asia & Pacific
31Venezuela, RB0.2242025Latin America & Caribbean
32Burundi0.2262025Sub-Saharan Africa
33Sudan0.2422025Sub-Saharan Africa
34Kazakhstan0.2872025Europe & Central Asia
35Yemen, Rep.0.292025Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
36Algeria0.3032025Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
37Burkina Faso0.3092025Sub-Saharan Africa
38Mali0.3152025Sub-Saharan Africa
39Cameroon0.3362025Sub-Saharan Africa
40Kyrgyz Republic0.3382025Europe & Central Asia
41Ethiopia0.3422025Sub-Saharan Africa
42Uganda0.3792025Sub-Saharan Africa
43Djibouti0.3922025Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
44Chad0.3992025Sub-Saharan Africa
45Mauritania0.4162025Sub-Saharan Africa
46Guinea0.4242025Sub-Saharan Africa
47Zimbabwe0.4242025Sub-Saharan Africa
48Congo, Rep.0.4332025Sub-Saharan Africa
49Somalia, Fed. Rep.0.4452025Sub-Saharan Africa
50Central African Republic0.4582025Sub-Saharan Africa
51Tunisia0.4792025Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
52Congo, Dem. Rep.0.482025Sub-Saharan Africa
53Pakistan0.4952025Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
54Libya0.5082025Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
55Comoros0.5092025Sub-Saharan Africa
56Guinea-Bissau0.5092025Sub-Saharan Africa
57Mozambique0.5192025Sub-Saharan Africa
58Togo0.5332025Sub-Saharan Africa
59Bangladesh0.5352025South Asia
60Ukraine0.5422025Europe & Central Asia
61Morocco0.5482025Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
62Turkiye0.5652025Europe & Central Asia
63Niger0.572025Sub-Saharan Africa
64Serbia0.5772025Europe & Central Asia
65Iraq0.5782025Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
66India0.5862025South Asia
67Singapore0.5912025East Asia & Pacific
68Hungary0.6052025Europe & Central Asia
69Bhutan0.6092025South Asia
70Gabon0.6092025Sub-Saharan Africa
71Angola0.612025Sub-Saharan Africa
72Haiti0.6122025Latin America & Caribbean
73Cote d'Ivoire0.6152025Sub-Saharan Africa
74Jordan0.6162025Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
75Tanzania0.6162025Sub-Saharan Africa
76Benin0.6192025Sub-Saharan Africa
77Indonesia0.6382025East Asia & Pacific
78Georgia0.6462025Europe & Central Asia
79El Salvador0.6462025Latin America & Caribbean
80Thailand0.6622025East Asia & Pacific
81Philippines0.6982025East Asia & Pacific
82Mexico0.7022025Latin America & Caribbean
83Lebanon0.7152025Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
84Mongolia0.7182025East Asia & Pacific
85Ecuador0.7192025Latin America & Caribbean
86Fiji0.7212025East Asia & Pacific
87Zambia0.7462025Sub-Saharan Africa
88Israel0.7582025Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
89Malawi0.7672025Sub-Saharan Africa
90North Macedonia0.7682025Europe & Central Asia
91Sao Tome and Principe0.7682025Sub-Saharan Africa
92Gambia, The0.7752025Sub-Saharan Africa
93Maldives0.7772025South Asia
94Peru0.7772025Latin America & Caribbean
95Albania0.7852025Europe & Central Asia
96Malaysia0.7912025East Asia & Pacific
97Bosnia and Herzegovina0.7932025Europe & Central Asia
98Kenya0.7932025Sub-Saharan Africa
99Senegal0.7982025Sub-Saharan Africa
100Paraguay0.82025Latin America & Caribbean
101Greece0.8012025Europe & Central Asia
102Bolivia0.8052025Latin America & Caribbean
103Romania0.8062025Europe & Central Asia
104Liberia0.8092025Sub-Saharan Africa
105Moldova0.812025Europe & Central Asia
106Madagascar0.8122025Sub-Saharan Africa
107Guyana0.8212025Latin America & Caribbean
108Croatia0.8212025Europe & Central Asia
109Vanuatu0.8292025East Asia & Pacific
110Bulgaria0.8332025Europe & Central Asia
111Seychelles0.8332025Sub-Saharan Africa
112Guatemala0.8342025Latin America & Caribbean
113Sierra Leone0.8372025Sub-Saharan Africa
114Kosovo0.8382025Europe & Central Asia
115Argentina0.8392025Latin America & Caribbean
116Korea, Rep.0.8392025East Asia & Pacific
117Slovak Republic0.8392025Europe & Central Asia
118Lithuania0.8412025Europe & Central Asia
119Timor-Leste0.8442025East Asia & Pacific
120Nigeria0.8462025Sub-Saharan Africa
121Botswana0.852025Sub-Saharan Africa
122Germany0.8522025Europe & Central Asia
123Sri Lanka0.8532025South Asia
124United Kingdom0.8592025Europe & Central Asia
125Chile0.862025Latin America & Caribbean
126Slovenia0.8612025Europe & Central Asia
127Poland0.8622025Europe & Central Asia
128Finland0.8642025Europe & Central Asia
129Canada0.8652025North America
130Montenegro0.8682025Europe & Central Asia
131Netherlands0.8682025Europe & Central Asia
132Nepal0.8682025South Asia
133Armenia0.8692025Europe & Central Asia
134Namibia0.872025Sub-Saharan Africa
135South Africa0.872025Sub-Saharan Africa
136Honduras0.8712025Latin America & Caribbean
137Czechia0.8722025Europe & Central Asia
138Lesotho0.8732025Sub-Saharan Africa
139Cabo Verde0.8742025Sub-Saharan Africa
140Portugal0.8742025Europe & Central Asia
141Solomon Islands0.8742025East Asia & Pacific
142Italy0.8752025Europe & Central Asia
143Australia0.8762025East Asia & Pacific
144Dominican Republic0.8762025Latin America & Caribbean
145Barbados0.8792025Latin America & Caribbean
146Jamaica0.8792025Latin America & Caribbean
147Papua New Guinea0.8792025East Asia & Pacific
148Panama0.8812025Latin America & Caribbean
149Suriname0.8812025Latin America & Caribbean
150Brazil0.8822025Latin America & Caribbean
151Austria0.8832025Europe & Central Asia
152Trinidad and Tobago0.8832025Latin America & Caribbean
153Mauritius0.8852025Sub-Saharan Africa
154New Zealand0.8852025East Asia & Pacific
155Ghana0.8882025Sub-Saharan Africa
156Latvia0.8882025Europe & Central Asia
157France0.8892025Europe & Central Asia
158Colombia0.892025Latin America & Caribbean
159Taiwan0.8922025East Asia & Pacific
160Cyprus0.8942025Europe & Central Asia
161Luxembourg0.8952025Europe & Central Asia
162Belgium0.8962025Europe & Central Asia
163Malta0.9022025Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
164Uruguay0.9022025Latin America & Caribbean
165Estonia0.9082025Europe & Central Asia
166Ireland0.9122025Europe & Central Asia
167United States0.9132025North America
168Spain0.9152025Europe & Central Asia
169Norway0.9152025Europe & Central Asia
170Switzerland0.9172025Europe & Central Asia
171Iceland0.9172025Europe & Central Asia
172Costa Rica0.9222025Latin America & Caribbean
173Japan0.9242025East Asia & Pacific
174Denmark0.9292025Europe & Central Asia
175Sweden0.9312025Europe & Central Asia

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A ranking describes countries, not the people in them, and a high or low place does not by itself say why. All country rankings.