An interactive world map tracking the march of freedom across three decades
By T.S., A.R. and D.H.
The interactive map below is based on data from Freedom House, an American think-tank, which since 1972 has assessed the state of freedom in all the countries and territories of the world (195 countries and 14 territories for 2013). Each is given two numerical ratings on a seven-point scale, for political rights and civil liberties, which are in turn based on 25 more detailed indicators. The two ratings are then averaged to produce a final freedom score for the country, and these scores in turn determine whether the country or territory is considered to be free, partly free or not free (and hence its colouring on our map).
Press the play button to watch the animation from 1972 to 2013. Dragging the slider lets you jump to a particular year. You can also zoom in to see particular regions in more detail. The map shows, for example, the "not free" Soviet Union splitting into multiple "partly free" countries in 1991, but Russia becoming "not free" in 2004 as Vladimir Putin tightens his grip. The impact of the Arab spring can also be seen, as Tunisia, Egypt and Libya turn "partly free" in 2012, only for Egypt to fall back to "not free" the following year. The overall picture is one of steady progress in the late 20th century, with the march of freedom largely grinding to a halt in the early 2000s. To find out more, read our in-depth essay on the subject, "What's gone wrong with democracy", from which this map is taken.
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