In 2023, freedom in the world has declined for the 18th consecutive year, says Freedom House. According to the Washington-funded research group, " political rights and civil liberties " were reduced in 52 countries, while only 21 countries recorded improvements.
Nagorno -Karabakh suffered the largest decline in freedom recorded during the year. Elections in Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Madagascar were marred by political violence and accusations of fraud, while conflicts in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) resulted in devastating human rights violations.