As global freedom continued to decline last year, Pakistan retained its status as “partly free” but saw a three-point drop in political rights and civil liberties, according to Freedom House in its latest annual report released on Wednesday.
The Washington DC-based organization, which monitors democracy and freedom worldwide, reported that 2024 marked the 19th consecutive year of global freedom deterioration. Across 60 countries, political rights and civil liberties worsened, while only 34 countries recorded improvements.
The report attributed the decline in many nations to election-related violence, repression of political opponents, ongoing armed conflicts, and expanding authoritarian practices.
Pakistan, which saw a three-point decline from the previous year, was also listed among the countries experiencing the steepest declines in freedom over the past decade, with a total drop of 10 points. The most significant 10-year declines were observed in Nicaragua (40 points), Tunisia (35 points), and El Salvador (28 points).
The Freedom House report emphasized that 2024 was characterized by political violence, suppression of opposition voices, and rising authoritarianism, all of which contributed to the global erosion of democracy.
South Asia’s Developments Amid Global Freedom Decline
Despite the downward trend, some nations in South Asia saw positive developments. Senegal was upgraded to “free” after its opposition successfully challenged an election delay by the outgoing president. Similarly, Bhutan achieved “free” status following its continued democratic progress, making it the only South Asian country in this category.
Other countries in the region showed significant improvements, although they remained in the same classification. Bangladesh saw progress after Sheikh Hasina faced a revolt, while Sri Lanka witnessed political change when Anura Kumara Dissanayake was elected president on an anti-corruption platform, breaking the dominance of two long-standing parties.
A notable improvement was observed in Indian-administered Kashmir, which held elections for the first time since its special status was revoked in 2019. However, India overall experienced further democratic backsliding, with Freedom House citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts to exert influence over judicial appointments. India was downgraded from “free” to “partly free” in 2021.
Widespread Electoral Volatility and Declining Political Rights
Report co-author Yana Gorokhovskaia noted that 2024 was particularly volatile due to the high number of elections worldwide. While the downward trend in freedom continued, electoral contests brought dynamic shifts in various regions.
Both Bangladesh and Syria saw immediate improvements in civil liberties following political upheavals. However, Gorokhovskaia cautioned that achieving meaningful political representation takes time, as strong institutions are difficult to build but easy to dismantle.
Four Countries Downgraded to ‘Not Free’
While Jordan saw improvements and was upgraded from “not free” to “partly free”, four nations experienced a downgrade from “partly free” to “not free”:
- Thailand, where the party with the most votes was disbanded, and the prime minister was dismissed after an ethics complaint backed by the military.
- Kuwait, where the emir dissolved parliament following elections.
- Tanzania, where authorities cracked down on protesters under President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
- Niger, where the military took full control after a 2023 coup ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.
Additionally, Tunisia, El Salvador, and Haiti experienced sharp declines in democratic freedoms.
Among the highest-ranking countries, Finland was the only nation to achieve a perfect freedom score of 100, followed closely by New Zealand, Norway, and Sweden (99 points each).
Freedom House, founded in 1941, receives funding from the US government but operates independently. However, the organization has faced financial strain due to budget cuts affecting democracy promotion initiatives.
