Zimbabwe ranked among least free countries in SADC

Zimbabwe has been ranked the third least free country in Southern Africa in the latest Freedom House 2026 Freedom in the World report, although it did not make the list of the world's 39 least free nations.

According to the report, Zimbabwe scored 25 out of 100 on political rights and civil liberties indicators. The 39 least free countries globally scored 21 points and below, with Sudan ranked at the bottom with zero points.

Within Southern Africa, only the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which scored 18 points, and Eswatini with 17 points, ranked lower than Zimbabwe.

The report identified Mauritius as the freest country in Southern Africa with 87 points, followed by South Africa and Seychelles, both tied at 81 points.

South Africa's score placed it on par with the United States, which also scored 81 - its lowest rating on record according to the report.

Freedom House said the United States' score had declined by 12 points over the past two decades due to growing political polarization and rising political violence.

"The 2025 decline was caused in part by government efforts to crack down on nonviolent expression by citizens and noncitizens alike," the report stated.

"The weakening of anticorruption safeguards and enforcement practices by the new US presidential administration was also cited as contributing to the lower score compared to previous years."

The report further noted that the world's lowest-ranked countries remain concentrated across Africa, Asia and the Middle East, where elections are heavily restricted, opposition movements suppressed and civil liberties severely limited.