Voice and Accountability by Country

The Voice and Accountability by Country ranking compares nations by year-over-year changes in political freedoms, ranking higher those with significant progress in expression, participation, and governance accountability.

Ranking summary

Fiji tops the rankings in Voice and Accountability, recording an increase from -0.14 to 0.19. Australia follows with a gain from 1.32 to 1.51, while Spain rounds out the top three, rising from 1.02 to 1.20.
Across all 192 countries, the average year-over-year change was +0.02 pts with a median change of +0.02 pts.
Overall, 129 countries improved in this area while 62 worsened. Click on a country to open the full country scorecard and see how it performs across a range of key indicators.

Rank ⇵	Country ⇵	Most Recent Year ⇵	Previous Year ⇵	Change ⇵
1	Fiji	0.19 (2023)	-0.14 (2022)	+0.33 pts
2	Australia	1.51 (2023)	1.32 (2022)	+0.18 pts
3	Spain	1.20 (2023)	1.02 (2022)	+0.18 pts
4	Thailand	-0.45 (2023)	-0.62 (2022)	+0.17 pts
5	Brazil	0.38 (2023)	0.23 (2022)	+0.16 pts
6	Oman	-1.00 (2023)	-1.15 (2022)	+0.14 pts
7	Moldova	0.24 (2023)	0.10 (2022)	+0.14 pts
8	Cyprus	0.98 (2023)	0.85 (2022)	+0.13 pts
9	Tanzania	-0.53 (2023)	-0.65 (2022)	+0.12 pts
10	Benin	-0.22 (2023)	-0.34 (2022)	+0.12 pts
11	Uganda	-0.70 (2023)	-0.80 (2022)	+0.10 pts
12	Slovenia	1.08 (2023)	0.98 (2022)	+0.10 pts
13	Bulgaria	0.39 (2023)	0.29 (2022)	+0.10 pts
14	Brunei	-0.72 (2023)	-0.82 (2022)	+0.10 pts
15	China	-1.51 (2023)	-1.60 (2022)	+0.10 pts
16	Luxembourg	1.63 (2023)	1.54 (2022)	+0.09 pts
17	Kuwait	-0.59 (2023)	-0.69 (2022)	+0.09 pts
18	Cuba	-1.25 (2023)	-1.34 (2022)	+0.09 pts
19	Japan	1.11 (2023)	1.02 (2022)	+0.09 pts
20	Cameroon	-1.07 (2023)	-1.15 (2022)	+0.08 pts
21	Qatar	-0.97 (2023)	-1.05 (2022)	+0.08 pts
22	Mauritania	-0.66 (2023)	-0.73 (2022)	+0.08 pts
23	Denmark	1.67 (2023)	1.59 (2022)	+0.07 pts
24	Angola	-0.74 (2023)	-0.81 (2022)	+0.07 pts
25	Egypt	-1.38 (2023)	-1.45 (2022)	+0.07 pts
26	Yemen	-1.55 (2023)	-1.62 (2022)	+0.07 pts
27	Montenegro	0.34 (2023)	0.28 (2022)	+0.07 pts
28	Maldives	-0.14 (2023)	-0.21 (2022)	+0.07 pts
29	Saudi Arabia	-1.42 (2023)	-1.48 (2022)	+0.07 pts
30	Türkiye	-0.86 (2023)	-0.93 (2022)	+0.07 pts
31	Kazakhstan	-1.00 (2023)	-1.07 (2022)	+0.06 pts
32	Turkmenistan	-1.88 (2023)	-1.95 (2022)	+0.06 pts
33	Morocco	-0.49 (2023)	-0.55 (2022)	+0.06 pts
34	Eswatini	-1.17 (2023)	-1.22 (2022)	+0.06 pts
35	Liberia	0.05 (2023)	0.00 (2022)	+0.06 pts
36	Latvia	0.99 (2023)	0.94 (2022)	+0.06 pts
37	Greece	1.01 (2023)	0.96 (2022)	+0.06 pts
38	Botswana	0.50 (2023)	0.45 (2022)	+0.05 pts
39	Nigeria	-0.55 (2023)	-0.60 (2022)	+0.05 pts
40	Sweden	1.58 (2023)	1.53 (2022)	+0.05 pts
41	Grenada	0.75 (2023)	0.71 (2022)	+0.05 pts
42	India	0.09 (2023)	0.05 (2022)	+0.05 pts
43	Germany	1.46 (2023)	1.41 (2022)	+0.05 pts
44	Congo	-1.15 (2023)	-1.20 (2022)	+0.05 pts
45	France	1.16 (2023)	1.11 (2022)	+0.04 pts
46	North Korea	-1.98 (2023)	-2.02 (2022)	+0.04 pts
47	Switzerland	1.67 (2023)	1.62 (2022)	+0.04 pts
48	Vietnam	-1.24 (2023)	-1.29 (2022)	+0.04 pts
49	Serbia	-0.06 (2023)	-0.10 (2022)	+0.04 pts
50	Italy	1.12 (2023)	1.07 (2022)	+0.04 pts
51	Bhutan	0.20 (2023)	0.16 (2022)	+0.04 pts
52	Comoros	-0.81 (2023)	-0.85 (2022)	+0.04 pts
53	Chile	1.02 (2023)	0.98 (2022)	+0.04 pts
54	Vanuatu	0.63 (2023)	0.59 (2022)	+0.04 pts
55	Syria	-1.85 (2023)	-1.90 (2022)	+0.04 pts
56	Bahrain	-1.38 (2023)	-1.42 (2022)	+0.04 pts
57	Canada	1.48 (2023)	1.44 (2022)	+0.04 pts
58	Tajikistan	-1.64 (2023)	-1.67 (2022)	+0.04 pts
59	Paraguay	0.04 (2023)	0.00 (2022)	+0.04 pts
60	Philippines	-0.02 (2023)	-0.06 (2022)	+0.04 pts
61	Honduras	-0.45 (2023)	-0.49 (2022)	+0.04 pts
62	Czech Republic	1.08 (2023)	1.04 (2022)	+0.04 pts
63	New Zealand	1.69 (2023)	1.65 (2022)	+0.04 pts
64	Chad	-1.44 (2023)	-1.47 (2022)	+0.04 pts
65	Colombia	0.21 (2023)	0.17 (2022)	+0.04 pts
66	Tunisia	-0.21 (2023)	-0.25 (2022)	+0.04 pts
67	Rwanda	-0.90 (2023)	-0.94 (2022)	+0.03 pts
68	United Arab Emirates	-1.10 (2023)	-1.13 (2022)	+0.03 pts
69	Algeria	-0.98 (2023)	-1.01 (2022)	+0.03 pts
70	Zambia	-0.05 (2023)	-0.08 (2022)	+0.03 pts
71	Azerbaijan	-1.41 (2023)	-1.44 (2022)	+0.03 pts
72	Belgium	1.33 (2023)	1.30 (2022)	+0.03 pts
73	Ireland	1.48 (2023)	1.45 (2022)	+0.03 pts
74	Burundi	-1.37 (2023)	-1.40 (2022)	+0.03 pts
75	Barbados	1.16 (2023)	1.13 (2022)	+0.03 pts
76	Albania	0.17 (2023)	0.14 (2022)	+0.03 pts
77	Jordan	-0.78 (2023)	-0.80 (2022)	+0.03 pts
78	Kenya	-0.12 (2023)	-0.15 (2022)	+0.03 pts
79	Equatorial Guinea	-1.68 (2023)	-1.70 (2022)	+0.03 pts
80	Liechtenstein	1.40 (2023)	1.38 (2022)	+0.03 pts
81	Finland	1.63 (2023)	1.61 (2022)	+0.03 pts
82	Laos	-1.63 (2023)	-1.66 (2022)	+0.03 pts
83	Papua New Guinea	0.01 (2023)	-0.02 (2022)	+0.03 pts
84	Poland	0.63 (2023)	0.60 (2022)	+0.02 pts
85	Slovakia	0.91 (2023)	0.89 (2022)	+0.02 pts
86	South Africa	0.75 (2023)	0.72 (2022)	+0.02 pts
87	Nepal	-0.02 (2023)	-0.05 (2022)	+0.02 pts
88	Tonga	0.87 (2023)	0.85 (2022)	+0.02 pts
89	Eritrea	-1.86 (2023)	-1.88 (2022)	+0.02 pts
90	Uzbekistan	-1.31 (2023)	-1.33 (2022)	+0.02 pts
91	Marshall Islands	1.13 (2023)	1.11 (2022)	+0.02 pts
92	Nauru	0.64 (2023)	0.62 (2022)	+0.02 pts
93	Georgia	0.04 (2023)	0.02 (2022)	+0.02 pts
94	Iceland	1.45 (2023)	1.43 (2022)	+0.02 pts
95	Côte d'Ivoire	-0.38 (2023)	-0.39 (2022)	+0.02 pts
96	Estonia	1.22 (2023)	1.20 (2022)	+0.02 pts
97	Cambodia	-1.29 (2023)	-1.31 (2022)	+0.02 pts
98	United States	0.88 (2023)	0.86 (2022)	+0.02 pts
99	Samoa	1.02 (2023)	1.00 (2022)	+0.02 pts
100	Zimbabwe	-1.09 (2023)	-1.11 (2022)	+0.02 pts
101	Antigua and Barbuda	0.74 (2023)	0.73 (2022)	+0.02 pts
102	Namibia	0.58 (2023)	0.57 (2022)	+0.02 pts
103	Djibouti	-1.27 (2023)	-1.29 (2022)	+0.02 pts
104	Tuvalu	1.22 (2023)	1.21 (2022)	+0.02 pts
105	Saint Lucia	0.86 (2023)	0.85 (2022)	+0.02 pts
106	Palau	1.09 (2023)	1.07 (2022)	+0.02 pts
107	San Marino	1.25 (2023)	1.23 (2022)	+0.02 pts
108	Venezuela	-1.53 (2023)	-1.55 (2022)	+0.01 pts
109	Malawi	0.08 (2023)	0.06 (2022)	+0.01 pts
110	Haiti	-1.18 (2023)	-1.19 (2022)	+0.01 pts
111	South Sudan	-1.68 (2023)	-1.70 (2022)	+0.01 pts
112	Dominican Republic	0.33 (2023)	0.31 (2022)	+0.01 pts
113	Cabo Verde	0.96 (2023)	0.95 (2022)	+0.01 pts
114	Ghana	0.41 (2023)	0.40 (2022)	+0.01 pts
115	Netherlands	1.56 (2023)	1.55 (2022)	+0.01 pts
116	Iran	-1.45 (2023)	-1.46 (2022)	+0.01 pts
117	Kyrgyzstan	-0.72 (2023)	-0.73 (2022)	+0.01 pts
118	Saint Kitts and Nevis	0.77 (2023)	0.77 (2022)	+0.01 pts
119	Panama	0.55 (2023)	0.54 (2022)	+0.01 pts
120	Peru	0.06 (2023)	0.05 (2022)	+0.01 pts
121	Bosnia and Herzegovina	-0.32 (2023)	-0.33 (2022)	+0.01 pts
122	Somalia	-1.66 (2023)	-1.67 (2022)	+0.01 pts
123	Mexico	-0.12 (2023)	-0.12 (2022)	+0.00 pts
124	Belize	0.54 (2023)	0.54 (2022)	+0.00 pts
125	United Kingdom	1.26 (2023)	1.26 (2022)	+0.00 pts
126	Solomon Islands	0.34 (2023)	0.34 (2022)	+0.00 pts
127	Lithuania	1.07 (2023)	1.07 (2022)	+0.00 pts
128	Mauritius	0.62 (2023)	0.61 (2022)	+0.00 pts
129	North Macedonia	0.16 (2023)	0.16 (2022)	+0.00 pts
130	Gambia	-0.04 (2023)	-0.04 (2022)	+0.00 pts
131	Kiribati	1.09 (2023)	1.09 (2022)	0.00 pts
132	Uruguay	1.28 (2023)	1.29 (2022)	0.00 pts
133	Bangladesh	-0.75 (2023)	-0.75 (2022)	0.00 pts
134	Austria	1.41 (2023)	1.41 (2022)	0.00 pts
135	Costa Rica	1.07 (2023)	1.07 (2022)	0.00 pts
136	Norway	1.78 (2023)	1.78 (2022)	0.00 pts
137	Indonesia	0.14 (2023)	0.14 (2022)	0.00 pts
138	Singapore	-0.07 (2023)	-0.06 (2022)	-0.01 pts
139	Mozambique	-0.59 (2023)	-0.59 (2022)	-0.01 pts
140	Iraq	-0.96 (2023)	-0.95 (2022)	-0.01 pts
141	Libya	-1.39 (2023)	-1.38 (2022)	-0.01 pts
142	Dominica	0.79 (2023)	0.80 (2022)	-0.01 pts
143	Guatemala	-0.53 (2023)	-0.52 (2022)	-0.01 pts
144	Argentina	0.53 (2023)	0.55 (2022)	-0.01 pts
145	Bahamas	0.86 (2023)	0.87 (2022)	-0.01 pts
146	Ethiopia	-1.06 (2023)	-1.05 (2022)	-0.01 pts
147	Armenia	0.08 (2023)	0.09 (2022)	-0.01 pts
148	Mongolia	0.25 (2023)	0.27 (2022)	-0.02 pts
149	Sri Lanka	-0.23 (2023)	-0.22 (2022)	-0.02 pts
150	Suriname	0.35 (2023)	0.37 (2022)	-0.02 pts
151	South Korea	0.86 (2023)	0.88 (2022)	-0.02 pts
152	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	0.83 (2023)	0.85 (2022)	-0.02 pts
153	Lesotho	0.03 (2023)	0.05 (2022)	-0.02 pts
154	Guinea-Bissau	-0.44 (2023)	-0.42 (2022)	-0.02 pts
155	Democratic Republic of the Congo	-1.21 (2023)	-1.19 (2022)	-0.02 pts
156	Lebanon	-0.65 (2023)	-0.63 (2022)	-0.02 pts
157	Russia	-1.29 (2023)	-1.26 (2022)	-0.02 pts
158	Sao Tome and Principe	0.25 (2023)	0.28 (2022)	-0.03 pts
159	Madagascar	-0.32 (2023)	-0.29 (2022)	-0.03 pts
160	Jamaica	0.56 (2023)	0.59 (2022)	-0.03 pts
161	Togo	-0.78 (2023)	-0.76 (2022)	-0.03 pts
162	Trinidad and Tobago	0.62 (2023)	0.65 (2022)	-0.03 pts
163	Myanmar	-1.84 (2023)	-1.81 (2022)	-0.03 pts
164	Israel	0.64 (2023)	0.68 (2022)	-0.03 pts
165	Nicaragua	-1.39 (2023)	-1.35 (2022)	-0.04 pts
166	Gabon	-0.92 (2023)	-0.88 (2022)	-0.04 pts
167	Belarus	-1.67 (2023)	-1.63 (2022)	-0.04 pts
168	Seychelles	0.56 (2023)	0.60 (2022)	-0.04 pts
169	Micronesia	1.09 (2023)	1.13 (2022)	-0.04 pts
170	Senegal	0.13 (2023)	0.18 (2022)	-0.04 pts
171	Guyana	0.15 (2023)	0.19 (2022)	-0.04 pts
172	Croatia	0.57 (2023)	0.62 (2022)	-0.05 pts
173	Portugal	1.21 (2023)	1.26 (2022)	-0.05 pts
174	Central African Republic	-1.26 (2023)	-1.21 (2022)	-0.05 pts
175	Timor-Leste	0.43 (2023)	0.49 (2022)	-0.06 pts
176	Monaco	0.65 (2023)	0.72 (2022)	-0.06 pts
177	Guinea	-1.15 (2023)	-1.08 (2022)	-0.06 pts
178	Romania	0.50 (2023)	0.57 (2022)	-0.06 pts
179	Hungary	0.36 (2023)	0.43 (2022)	-0.07 pts
180	Bolivia	-0.27 (2023)	-0.20 (2022)	-0.07 pts
181	Ukraine	-0.10 (2023)	-0.02 (2022)	-0.08 pts
182	Ecuador	-0.06 (2023)	0.03 (2022)	-0.09 pts
183	Mali	-1.01 (2023)	-0.92 (2022)	-0.09 pts
184	Pakistan	-0.96 (2023)	-0.86 (2022)	-0.10 pts
185	Afghanistan	-1.85 (2023)	-1.75 (2022)	-0.10 pts
186	El Salvador	-0.47 (2023)	-0.37 (2022)	-0.10 pts
187	Andorra	1.00 (2023)	1.11 (2022)	-0.11 pts
188	Sudan	-1.61 (2023)	-1.49 (2022)	-0.11 pts
189	Burkina Faso	-0.81 (2023)	-0.68 (2022)	-0.13 pts
190	Sierra Leone	-0.30 (2023)	-0.15 (2022)	-0.15 pts
191	Malta	0.91 (2023)	1.08 (2022)	-0.17 pts
192	Niger	-0.70 (2023)	-0.38 (2022)	-0.32 pts

Source: World Bank. Only countries with complete data (both points within the past 10 years) are shown.