Freedom! Which is the Most Democratic Nation in the World?

Not every world nation is included in the chart. 

In order to be eligible, that state has to have been declared 'free' by Freedom House.  They have to hold elections and have a political leader who can be voted out of office.

Also the country has to have a population over one million people.

Democracy Ranking Association is looking to evaluate the quality of the democracy presented.  It removes all of the lip service and digs down into the reality.

The information which feeds into the ranking is drawn from independent, international organizations.  This stops any single government trying to skew the results in favor of their party line.

Once all of the data is in, then it's weighted according to the democratic elements that it highlights.

Politics accounts for 50% of the score.  Ten percent each are given to factors governing gender equality, economy, knowledge, health and environment.

On paper, a nation can look very democratic, if each of its citizens can vote.  But what does that vote matter, if the voter is uninformed or ordered to vote for a certain candidate?  If the electoral system is unbalanced, so that the vote of a rich person counts more than that of a poorer individual, it's not a true democracy. 

If some members of society have a louder voice, because of their gender, then democracy is once again compromised.  And what of the implications outside the voting booth?  If education and health care aren't equally available to all, or if some sector of the population is forced to reside in unsafe living conditions, then again that nation is not democratic.

These are the principles by which the Democracy Ranking final score is decided.

1, Norway

The Norwegian total score was 88.5, up from 87.3 in 2007.  This is the most free and democratic country on Earth.  Go Norway!

2, Sweden

The Swedish total score was 86.9, down from 87.3 in 2007.

3, Finland

The Finnish total score was 86.3, up from 85.8 in 2007.  Not far behind Sweden then, and completing a hat-trick for the Nordic countries. (And before anyone starts frowning, the Democracy Ranking Association is based in Austria.  Their data is international.)

4, Switzerland

The Swiss total score was 85.4, up slightly from 84.5 in 2007.

5, Denmark

The Danish total score was 84.1, barely moving upwards from 83.8 in 2007.

6, Netherlands

The Dutch total score was 83.0, inching up from 82.7 in 2007.

7, New Zealand

The only non-European entry in the Quality of Democracy top ten goes to the Kiwis.  They achieved a total score of 82.7, a minute rise from their 2007 score of 82.6.

8, Germany

There was a full percentage leap for the Germans.  They went from 80.3 in 2007 to 81.6 in 2012.  Go Germany!

9, Ireland

The Irish are the only people in the top ten to slip down a rank.  (They were 8th in 2007, but the Germans overtook them.)  Nevertheless, their overall score was higher.  It was 81.0 in 2012, up from 80.8 in 2007.

10, Austria

The Austrian total score was 80.6, up from 79.7.  This is Austria's first time in the top ten. They took their position from the British, who slipped three ranks during the last three years.

1, The Republic of Yemen

The Yemeni total score was 25.9, which is actually up from 25.7 in 2007.  However, Libya has slightly risen in democratic principles, thus dropping Yemen into the bottom spot.

2, Syrian Arab Republic

The Syrian total score was 29.5, which dropped slightly from 30.1 in 2007.  It's getting less free in Syria.

3, Libya

In 2007, Libya had the most repressive 'free' nation on the Earth.  By 2012, the Libyans have clawed up four percentage points, from 25.5 to 29.6.  The result was rising two ranks.

4, Togo

Stepping out of the Middle East now, as Togo gained a total score of 34.6, up from 31.9 in 2007.

5, Republic of Guinea-Bissau

The Bissau-Guineans had a total score of 35.1, down from 36.3 in 2007.  They dropped three places in the ranks during the past three years.

6, China

The Chinese have barely moved since 2007. They had a total score of 36.9, up minutely from 36.2.  China also dropped one place in the overall rankings.

7, Pakistan

The Pakistanis have risen two places in the ranks, with a total score of 37.1.  This has climbed up from 33.5 in 2007.

8, Arab Republic of Egypt

The Egyptians have also risen two places in the ranks. Their total score was 37.1, up from 33.5 in 2007.

9, Nigeria

Not much movement for the Nigerians.  They had a total score of 37.4, up from 36.3 in 2007.

10, Haiti

The Haitians moved up a whole percentage point, but it wasn't enough to stop them slipping two places in the ranks.  This is Haiti's first time in the bottom ten.  Their total score was 39.7, up from 38.1 in 2007.

Please note:  Freedom House changed the status of Yemen, Syria, Libya, China and Egypt to 'not free' during 2010 and 2011.  Therefore the data from these years denotes 'virtual scores'.

There's not the scope here to go through all 104 countries individually, but that information is easily accessible online.

For a chart showing the percentage points and rank, please visit Democracy Ranking Rank Change.