Our list of the 10 freest countries in the world is a great preview of the places where you can find out how freedom feels and looks like.
In this war-torn world where inequality, intolerance, and injustice are waiting around every corner, freedom became an abstract concept. However, we are still trying to cherish and preserve the ideas of the world’s greatest fighters for a better tomorrow – we are certainly all familiar with the following statement ”We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. From Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson to the Napoleon on the other side of the globe, they all had a dream of freedom.
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But, what is happening nowadays? Did their dream come true? As for countries on our list, it did. They all scored high when it comes to the political rights of their citizens, such as electoral process, political pluralism, and participation as well as the functioning of the government. Personal rights, regarding autonomy and individuality, are maybe the weakest link – some of the countries below still have issues such as the legalization of the same-sex marriages. However, every single country on this list guarantees the freedom of expression and belief and respects the rule of law.
Considering that this subject is a lot to take at once, we are suggesting to proceed further after an intermezzo – take a look, there might be some overlaps between freest countries and the Countries that Won the Eurovision the Most.
The Fraiser and Cato Institute have done some great job evaluating the state of human freedom on the basis of various aspects such as the economy and civil and personal rights. We took into account the Human Freedom Index for the years 2012 and 2013 and calculated final results for each country. What we wanted to determine is whether there were some unexpected and significant shifts on the lists of the freest countries in the past. At the and we added the results for the year 2016, obtained from the website Freedom House. So, check out the list of freest countries in the world and see if there are some surprises because the freedom is like a swing of a pendulum – it’s going to swing away if you don’t hold it.
10. Netherlands
Fraiser 2012 – 8.40/10
Cato 2013 – 8.42/10
Freedom House – 2016 – 99/100
Did you know that in Amsterdam it’s completely legal to open a brothel or to smoke pot in the middle of the day while sitting and relaxing at the coffee shop? It’s not just legal – drug and sex trade gave a real boost to the Dutch economy since 0.4% of gross domestic product can be accounted to this industry. Moreover, this open-minded society was the pioneer in the legalization of same-sex marriages, back in 2001. The land of tulips, windmills, and clogs is so safe that eight prisons have been closed because there aren’t enough prisoners to fill them. With more than 30,000 km of cycle paths, the Netherlands is a cycling utopia, where helmet free Dutches can ride borrowed bikes for free. And now, let’s see what else we have in our list of freest countries in the world.
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9. Iceland
Fraiser 2012 – 8.40/10
Cato 2013 – 8.12/10
Freedom House 2016 – 100/100
Despite major setbacks like Icelandic financial crisis in 2008 and this year’s involvement of Prime Minister Gunnlaugsson in the Panama Papers scandal, it’s quite a success for this non-EU country to end up on this list of freest countries in the world. However, one (or two) swallow(s) doesn’t make a summer. Icelanders were first to elect female and openly gay Prime Minister thus showing nation’s equal approach to both men and women, and homosexuals as well. In addition, one shouldn’t be surprised if an Iceland gal makes a first move in the game of dating. With 97.6% of the population using an internet connection, it’s quite amazing that more than 80% still believe in elves. It must be the consequence of a carefree life without hardly any crimes – policemen don’t carry guns while strolling through Reykjavík. What is even more interesting is that Iceland doesn’t have an army and navy – their freedom is preserved with the Icelandic Coast Guard.
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8. Norway
Fraiser 2012 – 8.48/10
Cato 2013 – 8.48/10
Freedom House 2016 – 100/100
Norway has come the long way to become one of the 10 freest countries in the world, considering that they have a history of banning various things such as Monty Python movie ‘Life of Brain’ because of alleged blasphemy as well as boxing on TV on the grounds that it’s supposedly immoral. Nevertheless, nowadays Norwegians are experiencing all the benefits of living in one of the freest, wealthiest and most peaceful countries, according to the Global Peace Index. In the country where everything is transparent, from public records of income and wealth to the affairs of government officials, the frozen pizza biggest fans can relax in skiing resorts with no worries, whatsoever.
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7. Sweden
Fraiser 2012 – 8.50/10
Cato 2013 – 8.36/10
Freedom House 2016 – 100/100
Speaking of pacifists, the Swedes are good representatives, considering their neutrality during the World Wars and hospitality towards Denmark’s Jews. Even today, the Swedish refugee policy remains the same – despite the struggles that country’s Migration Agency has while processing applications for asylum, Sweden received the highest number of asylum seekers due to an approval rate of more than 70%. With women’s wage that is just 6% lower than the men’s, Sweden is a leader regarding gender equality. And, when it comes to the children, they haven’t been spanked since 1979, because the law forbids it. It looks like everything in Sweden is about openness, and transparency, hence the highest percent of the internet usage within the EU.
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6. Australia
Fraiser 2012 – 8.55/10
Cato 2013 – 8.53/10
Freedom House 2016 – 98/100
Being among the best examples of the multicultural environments that embrace all kinds of differences, whether those of race, ethnicity or politics, this country-continent truly is an incarnation of tolerance and diversity, except when it comes to the same-sex marriages – the Australian Government still doesn’t recognize it. 20 million citizens speak more than 200 different languages in this country where cities like Melbourne are crowned as the most liveable places worldwide, and women have the right to vote since 1902. What has once been a convict colony, today is one of the safest countries. It’s no wonder that it ended up in our list of freest countries in the world. And if you want to breathe freely and fill your lungs with fresh air, just go to Tasmania since it has the cleanest air in the world. What could be regarded as only not-free circumstances are recent government measures concerning antiterrorism and the so-called ‘no-go zones’. If one visits these zones without legitimate purposes, such as humanitarian work and family visit, a prison sentence is a possible outcome.
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5. Denmark
Fraiser 2012 – 8.62/10
Cato 2013 – 8.58/10
Freedom House 2016 – 98/100
Being among the world’s tops when it comes to democracy, press, work-life balance, employment rate, and life satisfaction, it is hard not to feel free if you are living in Denmark, the next country on our list of freest countries in the world. Apparently, they are big fans of ‘paperless marriages’, and it seems that they are sexually more liberated than the rest of the Europe, with the exception of their neighbors-Finnish. In addition, a hippie commune ‘Christiania’ still exists and it’s a real blast from the past – even now, after 30 years there is a certain number of enthusiasts who are in search of an alternative lifestyle where they can be free and unconstrained. In this land of Vikings, even Shakespeare and Andersen set their minds free in the pursuit of inspiration. So, whether you are Carlsberg or Tuborg drinker, you will definitely experience the ’hygge’, the Danish special feeling of togetherness, while enjoying in one of the 80,000 clubs in this country. The only thing that might limit your freedom of movement is rainfall that occurs almost every second day. But, a good umbrella is a solution to that problem.
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4. Canada
Fraiser 2012 – 8.6/10
Cato 2013 – 8.56/10
Freedom House 2016 – 99/100
Canada must be a promised land if we take into account the USA’s election aftermath and the fact that a lot of Americans want to make a long visit to their quiet and well-behaved neighbor. Maybe they were drawn by the fact that in Canada a patient can receive the healthcare regardless of its ability to pay, opposing to the USA. Whatever the reason, it seems that Canadians figured out a long time ago what it takes to remain free, and that’s why they are pretty high on our list of the 10 freest countries in the world. They are aware that knowledge brings freedom and power, hence the literacy rate that is over 99%. As a result, more than 80% of the population declares as happy. The only thing in Canada that is off limits is the criticizing of the favorite hockey team!
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3. New Zealand
Fraiser 2012 – 8.61/10
Cato 2013 – 8.58/10
Freedom House 2016 – 98/100
New Zealanders are more likely to live long and prosper since life expectancy rates are high, reaching 80 years for both men and women. The world’s least populated country is successful in protecting women’s rights since 1893, when for the first time they were allowed to vote. A century later, New Zealand’s top three positions of power were held by women. All citizens, native or newcomers are free to perform any religion, including the invention of a new one – the results of the 2001 census showed the existence of more than 50,000 followers of the so-called Jedi religion. Maybe they have too much spare time, thus allowing their spirit of inventiveness to go wild? And now, let’s see the top two freest countries in the world.
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2. Switzerland
Fraiser 2012 – 8.80/10
Cato 2013 – 8.75/10
Freedom House 2016 – 96/100
In many previous years, Switzerland topped all the rankings as the best place to be born and live happy and free life. However, this year, Swiss stepped down from the throne and came in second on the list of freest countries in the world. Let’s see why. Whether it’s a consequence of the 2015 parliamentary elections and the victory of the right-wing Swiss People’s Party or the refugee crisis, the process of gaining citizenship became more difficult – restrictive laws shut the door on immigrants and their children regarding their participation in the politics. As for the legitimate Swiss voters, they are more than encouraged to engage in matters of the state, since direct democracy and the possibility to challenge the law, already passed by Parliament, is the foundation of their liberated society. Aloofness towards the Islamic creed is made clear with banning the construction of mosques and minarets and an ongoing discussion whether face-covering veils should be banned too. Nevertheless, besides this obvious reaction on Muslim radicalism, Switzerland is a financial haven, where with a single ticket you can travel all day across the entire country while eating chocolate and drinking instant coffee. In Switzerland, even guinea pigs have rights, as it is prohibited by law to keep them on their own – being a sociable animal, the owner must have at least two guinea pigs. Therefore, it’s not surprising that, animal lawyers are the real thing there.
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1. Finland
Fraiser 2012 – 8.63/10
Cato 2013 – 8.52/10
Freedom House 2016 – 100/100
Finally, we’ve reached the first place on our list of 10 freest countries in the world. So let’s see how free are Santa Claus and his compatriots. According to various studies, the Finns are unexcelled when it comes to press freedom, democracy, economy, environmental sustainability, childhood education and much more. These caffeine junkies are doing a great job because with only 100 years of independence they became a synonym for freedom. Finland might have a little awkward aura, considering their midnight sun and gloomy winters, but they learned to deal with it – an afternoon in the sauna, where they are free of clothes prevents the bad mood. On the other hand, all nature enthusiasts can sleep, swim, sail or fish literally anywhere. They even have festivals organized for things that are inappropriate or even forbidden in some places -so if you like, for example, to throw mobiles, and get a reward for it, go to Finland. After all, they have a history of connecting people.
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