Freedom of Thought Report
The Freedom of Thought Report is an annual report produced by Humanists International that surveys discrimination against non-religious people—including humanists and atheists—worldwide.[1] First published in 2012, the report is published online with a country chapter for each country in a “Country Index”, and Humanists International also releases a downloadable PDF “Key Countries Edition”.[1][2][3]
Methodology and ratings
Each country is assessed against a set of “boundary conditions”.[4] Each condition is associated with one of four thematic strands (“Constitution and government”, “Education and children's rights”, “Society and community”, and “Freedom of expression, humanist values”) and contributes to one of five severity levels (“Free and equal”, “Mostly satisfactory”, “Systemic discrimination”, “Severe discrimination” and “Grave violations”).[4]
Humanists International publishes the assessment data as open data under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence.[5]
Findings
The report includes maps that colour countries by the most severe boundary condition applied in each category, as well as a “summary score” based on average severity across all four categories.[6]
Maps
| |
| Freedom of Thought 2024 Report basic summary scores by country (1 = best, 5 = worst).[5] |
| Constitution and government | Education and children's rights |
|---|---|
| Society and community | Freedom of expression, humanist values |
List
| Country | "Constitution and government" | "Education and children's rights" | "Society and community" | "Freedom of expression, humanist values" | Basic Summary Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5.00 |
| Albania | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2.50 |
| Algeria | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4.00 |
| Andorra | 3 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 3.67 |
| Angola | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 3.00 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 3.00 |
| Argentina | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2.75 |
| Armenia | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3.25 |
| Australia | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2.50 |
| Austria | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2.00 |
| Azerbaijan | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 3.00 |
| The Bahamas | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2.50 |
| Bahrain | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4.50 |
| Bangladesh | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4.50 |
| Barbados | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2.75 |
| Belarus | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3.75 |
| Belgium | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.00 |
| Belize | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3.00 |
| Benin | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2.25 |
| Bhutan | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2.50 |
| Bolivia | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2.50 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3.25 |
| Botswana | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2.25 |
| Brazil | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3.25 |
| Brunei | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4.75 |
| Bulgaria | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2.50 |
| Burkina Faso | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2.00 |
| Burundi | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3.75 |
| Cambodia | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3.00 |
| Cameroon | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3.25 |
| Canada | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2.75 |
| Cape Verde | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2.25 |
| Central African Republic | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 2.50 |
| Chad | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3.75 |
| Chile | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2.50 |
| China | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4.50 |
| Colombia | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2.50 |
| Comoros | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4.25 |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4.00 |
| Republic of the Congo | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1.50 |
| Costa Rica | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2.75 |
| Ivory Coast | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3.25 |
| Croatia | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3.25 |
| Cuba | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4.00 |
| Cyprus | 3 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3.00 |
| Czech Republic | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.50 |
| Denmark | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2.75 |
| Djibouti | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3.25 |
| Dominica | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2.75 |
| Dominican Republic | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3.25 |
| Ecuador | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1.25 |
| Egypt | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4.50 |
| El Salvador | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 3.00 |
| Equatorial Guinea | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3.50 |
| Eritrea | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4.00 |
| Estonia | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2.75 |
| Ethiopia | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3.25 |
| Fiji | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2.50 |
| Finland | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3.00 |
| France | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1.50 |
| Gabon | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2.00 |
| The Gambia | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2.75 |
| Georgia | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2.75 |
| Germany | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3.25 |
| Ghana | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3.25 |
| Greece | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2.25 |
| Grenada | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3.25 |
| Guatemala | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3.00 |
| Guinea | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3.50 |
| Guinea-Bissau | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1.67 |
| Guyana | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3.50 |
| Haiti | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2.75 |
| Honduras | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2.67 |
| Hungary | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3.75 |
| Iceland | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.50 |
| India | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3.25 |
| Indonesia | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4.50 |
| Iran | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4.75 |
| Iraq | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4.25 |
| Ireland | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2.75 |
| Israel | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3.75 |
| Italy | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3.25 |
| Jamaica | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2.75 |
| Japan | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2.25 |
| Jordan | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4.25 |
| Kazakhstan | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3.50 |
| Kenya | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2.50 |
| Kiribati | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2.75 |
| South Korea | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1.75 |
| Kosovo | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1.75 |
| Kuwait | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4.50 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 3 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 2.75 |
| Laos | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 3.00 |
| Latvia | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2.75 |
| Lebanon | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4.00 |
| Lesotho | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3.00 |
| Liberia | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3.25 |
| Libya | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4.00 |
| Liechtenstein | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2.50 |
| Lithuania | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2.75 |
| Luxembourg | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2.00 |
| North Macedonia | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3.00 |
| Madagascar | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3.25 |
| Malawi | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3.25 |
| Malaysia | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4.50 |
| Maldives | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4.75 |
| Mali | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3.50 |
| Malta | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2.75 |
| Marshall Islands | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2.25 |
| Mauritania | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4.75 |
| Mauritius | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2.75 |
| Mexico | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3.00 |
| Federated States of Micronesia | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2.25 |
| Moldova | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3.00 |
| Monaco | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2.75 |
| Mongolia | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1.50 |
| Montenegro | 3 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 2.75 |
| Morocco | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4.50 |
| Mozambique | 3 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 2.75 |
| Myanmar | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3.75 |
| Namibia | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1.75 |
| Nauru | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1.25 |
| Nepal | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3.50 |
| Netherlands | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.00 |
| New Zealand | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2.00 |
| Nicaragua | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3.50 |
| Niger | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2.50 |
| Nigeria | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4.25 |
| North Korea | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5.00 |
| Norway | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1.75 |
| Oman | 4 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 4.00 |
| Pakistan | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5.00 |
| Palau | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1.75 |
| State of Palestine | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3.75 |
| Panama | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2.75 |
| Papua New Guinea | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3.50 |
| Paraguay | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3.25 |
| Peru | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2.75 |
| Philippines | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3.25 |
| Poland | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3.50 |
| Portugal | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2.75 |
| Qatar | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4.50 |
| Romania | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2.75 |
| Russia | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 3.00 |
| Rwanda | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4.00 |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2.00 |
| Saint Lucia | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3.25 |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3.00 |
| Samoa | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3.75 |
| San Marino | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2.50 |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1.75 |
| Saudi Arabia | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5.00 |
| Senegal | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3.25 |
| Serbia | 3 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 2.75 |
| Seychelles | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3.25 |
| Sierra Leone | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3.00 |
| Singapore | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3.25 |
| Slovakia | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 3.00 |
| Slovenia | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.00 |
| Solomon Islands | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3.50 |
| Somalia | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4.50 |
| South Africa | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1.67 |
| South Sudan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2.00 |
| Spain | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3.00 |
| Sri Lanka | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3.75 |
| Sudan | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4.75 |
| Suriname | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3.50 |
| Eswatini | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3.75 |
| Sweden | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.50 |
| Switzerland | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3.00 |
| Syria | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4.50 |
| Taiwan | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1.50 |
| Tajikistan | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3.25 |
| Tanzania | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3.50 |
| Thailand | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3.75 |
| Timor-Leste | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2.50 |
| Togo | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3.50 |
| Tonga | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2.50 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3.25 |
| Tunisia | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4.00 |
| Turkey | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3.75 |
| Turkmenistan | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3.50 |
| Tuvalu | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3.00 |
| Uganda | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3.00 |
| Ukraine | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2.50 |
| United Arab Emirates | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4.75 |
| United Kingdom | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2.75 |
| United States | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1.75 |
| Uruguay | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2.75 |
| Uzbekistan | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3.50 |
| Vanuatu | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3.25 |
| Venezuela | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2.75 |
| Vietnam | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4.00 |
| Yemen | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4.75 |
| Zambia | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3.75 |
| Zimbabwe | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3.75 |
Responses to the Freedom of Thought Report
The various annual editions of the Freedom of Thought Report have been covered in the media, including The Independent,[7] Christian Today,[8] and The Washington Post.[9] The report has also received coverage in national media in countries discussed in the report, including the Malay Mail in Malaysia.[10]
Forewords and prefaces to the report have been written by a range of public figures, including United Nations Special Rapporteurs on Freedom of Religion or Belief; the report’s foreword page includes excerpts from multiple annual editions.[11] In his foreword to the first edition, Heiner Bielefeldt emphasised that international protections for freedom of religion or belief also apply to non-religious people and their convictions.[11]
In the UK Parliament in October 2013, David Lidington responded to a question on the report by stating that UK policy on freedom of religion or belief is consistent with protecting the rights of individuals (rather than protecting beliefs themselves), and highlighted protecting freedom of expression online as a priority.[12]
See also
- List of freedom indices
- Freedom in the World
- World Press Freedom Index
- The Economist Democracy Index
- V-Dem Democracy Indices
- Corruption Perceptions Index
- Index of Economic Freedom
References
- ^ a b "About the report". Freedom of Thought Report. Humanists International. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
- ^ "Country Index". Freedom of Thought Report. Humanists International. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
- ^ "Download the report". Freedom of Thought Report. Humanists International. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
- ^ a b "The Ratings System". Freedom of Thought Report. Humanists International. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
- ^ a b "Open Data". Freedom of Thought Report. Humanists International. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
- ^ "Maps". Freedom of Thought Report. Humanists International. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
- ^ "How the right to deny the existence of God is under threat globally". The Independent. 9 December 2014.
- ^ "Most countries fail to respect rights of atheists - report". Christian Today. 10 December 2015.
- ^ "Stephen Fry's mockery of religion could land him the death penalty in these countries". The Washington Post. 5 February 2015.
- ^ "Malaysia's free thought, religious expression under 'serious assault', study shows". Malay Mail. 21 December 2015.
- ^ a b "Foreword". Freedom of Thought Report. Humanists International. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
- ^ "House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 14 Oct 2013 (pt 0005)". publications.parliament.uk.
External links
- Freedom of Thought Report (official website)