The US-based non-profit human rights watchdog, Freedom House, has released the Freedom in the World 2021 Report.
Freedom in the World is a yearly survey and report by the U.S.-based and partially U.S. government-funded non-governmental organization Freedom House that measures the degree of civil liberties and political rights in every nation and significant related and disputed territories around the world.
First published in early 1973, its annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices became widely acclaimed at first as an assessment of conditions of democracy in different nations, but in recent years has been criticized as reflecting U.S. foreign policy interests.
It derives its methodology from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948.
It ranks countries based on political rights indicators such as the electoral process, political pluralism, participation , government functioning, rule of law, civil liberties among others.
Founded in 1941, Freedom House is a unique institution—a non-governmental organization (NGO) that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom, and human rights.
It describes itself as a "clear voice for democracy and freedom around the world", although some critics have stated that the organization is biased towards US interests as it is U.S.-funded.
The organization was 66% funded by grants from the U.S. government in 2006, a number which has increased to 86% in 2016.
