Georgia shows highest score for human freedoms in Caucasus, Central Asia
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Georgia has ranked 41st among 162 countries in the Human Freedom Index 2019, standing above all Caucasian and Central Asian countries.
This fifth annual index used 76 distinct indicators of personal and economic freedom in the following areas:
- Rule of law
- Security and safety
- Movement
- Religion
- Association, assembly and civil society
- Expression and information
- Identity and Relationships
- Size of government
- Legal system and property rights
- Access to sound Money
- Freedom to trade internationally
- Regulation of credit, labor, and business
The HFI 2019 covered 162 countries for 2017, the most recent year for which sufficient data are available, the official webpage reads.
On a scale of 0 to 10, where 10 represents more freedom, the average human freedom rating for 162 countries in 2017 was 6.89.
The index ranks countries beginning in 2008.
Top five on the list are New Zeeland, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Canada and Australia, while Yemen, Venezuela and Syria are at the bottom of the ranking.
Georgian officials have marked global celebrations of Human Rights Day today. Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia wrote on his Twitter that "inequality should not be an issue in the modern world when there is so much need for unity and peace".
The EU-UN commissioned report prepared by independent human rights expert Maggie Nicholson regarding Georgia’s National Human Rights Strategy for 2014-2020 praises the country’s “significant achievements” in human rights over the past six years and points at the issues which should be resolved.
The recent Human Rights World Report by the Human Rights Watch summarises human rights problems in Georgia.
Georgia and the United Nations (UN) have signed the document that outlines the future partnership of the two sides.
Georgia has ranked 40th of 162 countries in the Human Freedom Index 2020, leading all countries in the South Caucasus and with a total score of 7.87 out of 10 points.