Countries that have always scored 1/1 (best score) according to Freedom House

[Tooting Carmen]

Each year since 1972, the US pro-democracy charity Freedom House has produced an annual report called Freedom In The World, which looks at the state of democracy (or lack thereof) and human rights in different countries. The following countries have scored 1 for political rights and 1 for civil liberties every year since 1972, the best score possible:

Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Iceland, Marshall Islands (independent since 1991), Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland.

[Peterski]

Interesting

[Tooting Carmen]

At the other end of the spectrum, the only country to have scored 7 for political rights and 7 for civil liberties every single year has been North Korea.

[Tooting Carmen]

Furthermore, the following countries have always been ranked Free, even if not necessarily with the top 1,1 score:

Bahamas (independent since 1973), Barbados, Belgium, Belize (independent since 1981), Costa Rica, Dominica (independent since 1978), Estonia (independent since 1991), Finland, France, Germany (West Germany before 1991), Irish Republic, Israel (not including Palestinian Territories), Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kiribati (independent since 1979), Lithuania (independent since 1991), Luxembourg, Micronesia (independent since 1991), Nauru, Palau (independent since 1994), San Marino, Slovenia (independent since 1991), St Kitts and Nevis (independent since 1982), St Lucia (independent since 1979), St Vincent and the Grenadines (independent since 1979), Sweden, Tuvalu (independent since 1978), United Kingdom, United States.

At the other end of the spectrum, the following countries have always been classified as Not Free, even if not necessarily with the worst 7,7 score:

China, Congo (Kinshasa), Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Iraq, Oman, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, South Sudan (independent since 2011), Vietnam (North Vietnam until 1976).

[Tooting Carmen]

Interesting the number of Caribbean and Pacific island nations on the list. Thus poor =/= despotic.