Which EU Countries Have the Highest Freedom Scores?

Key Takeaways

• In 2025, Finland is the only EU member state to score a perfect 100 on Freedom House’s freedom scale.
• Beyond Finland, Sweden (99) and Denmark (97) are some of the next highest-scoring EU member states. Both lose civil liberties points, but for different reasons. Sweden loses one point for documented increases in gang violence. Denmark loses three for its treatment of immigrants and asylum seekers.
• Hungary recorded a freedom score of 65. It is the only EU country classified as “Partly Free.” Every other EU member state scores 70 or above.
• Hungary dropped from “Free” to “Partly Free” in 2019. Fidesz used constitutional and legal changes to consolidate control over elections, media, and the judiciary after taking power in 2010.
• In 2024, the EU denied Hungary €1.04 billion in funding for failing to meet anticorruption reforms and rule of law requirements.

Freedom Scores Across EU Member States

Stay tuned!

Learn something new about Germany every week and make informed decisions with confidence.

Stay tuned!

Learn something new about Germany every week and make informed decisions with confidence.

The EU spans 35 points on Freedom House’s freedom scale. Finland scores a perfect 100. Hungary scores 65 at the lower end. It is the only EU member state classified as “Partly Free.” Every other EU member state falls between those two poles.

Freedom House scores each country on 25 indicator questions.

• Ten of those questions cover political rights. This includes whether elections are free and fair, whether political competition is genuine, and whether government is transparent and accountable.
• Fifteen questions cover civil liberties, including press freedom, freedom of assembly, rule of law, and personal autonomy.

Each question is scored 0 to 4 points. The maximum combined score is 100. Countries scoring 70 or above are classified as “Free.” Countries scoring between 40 and 69 are classified as “Partly Free.”

Finland Leads the EU With a Perfect Freedom Score

Finland is the only EU member state to achieve a perfect score. Its country report describes free and fair elections, robust multiparty competition, an independent judiciary, and no significant corruption.

Beyond Finland, two other Nordic countries make up the top tier of freedom scores. Sweden scores 99. Denmark scores 97. It is a mark shared with Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Slovenia. The two Nordic countries score the maximum on political rights but lose civil liberties points for different reasons.

• Sweden lost one point on protection from physical harm. It is connected to documented increases in gang violence and challenges in creating opportunities for foreign-born residents.
• Denmark lost three points. Its report flags concerns about the treatment of immigrants and asylum seekers. Several cases involving deportation decisions reached the European Court of Human Rights.

Hungary Stands Alone as the EU’s Only “Partly Free” Country

Hungary scores 65. It is the only EU member state in the “Partly Free” category.

Freedom House reclassified Hungary from “Free” to “Partly Free” in 2019. The decline traces to a deliberate weakening of the institutions that check government power.

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party has governed Hungary since 2010. The party used constitutional and legal changes to consolidate control over elections, media, and the judiciary. International observers found the 2022 parliamentary elections failed to provide a level playing field. State resources and public media favoured the ruling coalition.

Pro-government outlets now dominate national and regional media. Government advertising flows almost exclusively to Fidesz-aligned outlets. Independent journalism operates in a financially precarious position as a result. The same pressure reached courts and anticorruption bodies. In 2024, the EU denied Hungary €1.04 billion in funding for failing to implement anticorruption reforms and rule of law requirements.

Countries with high freedom scores share one common feature. Their successive governments have not dismantled the institutions that protect free elections, a free press, and judicial independence. Hungary’s 25-point fall since 2010 shows what happens when a government chooses otherwise.