North Korea was ranked as the country with the least open civic space in the world in 2022, with an index score of only two out of 100. The Asian state is known for being one of the most closed in the world, with massive surveillance and arrests of political opponents. Syria, ravaged by civil war and the oppressive rule of Bashar al-Assad followed in second with a score of four, while Laos, Saudi Arabia, and Eritrea all received a score of seven. Most of the countries with the least open civic space in the world are found in Asia including the Middle East.
20 countries with the least open civic space worldwide 2022
The source defines civic space as "the respect in policy, law and practice for freedoms of association,
peaceful assembly and expression and the extent to which the state protects these
fundamental rights."
The ranking is based on assessments made by 20 organizations with expertise on the topic. It includes 197 countries who are given a ranking from zero (closed civic space) to 100 (open civic space), which are classified as either open, narrowed, obstructed, repressed, or closed. For more about the methodology behind the ranking, please visit the source's methodology page.
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CIVICUS. (March 16, 2023). 20 countries with the least open civic space worldwide 2022 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 22, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1373286/civic-space-worldwide-countries-lowest/
CIVICUS. "20 countries with the least open civic space worldwide 2022." Chart. March 16, 2023. Statista. Accessed December 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1373286/civic-space-worldwide-countries-lowest/
CIVICUS. (2023). 20 countries with the least open civic space worldwide 2022. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1373286/civic-space-worldwide-countries-lowest/
CIVICUS. "20 Countries with The Least Open Civic Space Worldwide 2022." Statista, Statista Inc., 16 Mar 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1373286/civic-space-worldwide-countries-lowest/
CIVICUS, 20 countries with the least open civic space worldwide 2022 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1373286/civic-space-worldwide-countries-lowest/ (last visited December 22, 2024)
20 countries with the least open civic space worldwide 2022 [Graph], CIVICUS, March 16, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1373286/civic-space-worldwide-countries-lowest/
