Independence 2021

Independence measures a country's self-governance. Compare global rankings, explore interactive maps, and analyze historical trends.

217 data pointsGlobal CoverageCIA World Factbook

Interactive Map

Complete Data Rankings

Rank
1
South Africa flag
South Africa
31
2
Botswana flag
Botswana
30
3
Congo, Democratic Republic of the flag
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
30
4
Seychelles flag
Seychelles
29
5
Egypt flag
Egypt
28
6
Mauritania flag
Mauritania
28
7
Djibouti flag
Djibouti
27
8
Sierra Leone flag
Sierra Leone
27
9
Togo flag
Togo
27
10
Liberia flag
Liberia
26
11
Madagascar flag
Madagascar
26
12
Tanzania flag
Tanzania
26
13
Mozambique flag
Mozambique
25
14
Eritrea flag
Eritrea
24
15
Libya flag
Libya
24
16
Guinea-Bissau flag
Guinea-Bissau
24
17
Zambia flag
Zambia
24
18
Mali flag
Mali
22
19
Namibia flag
Namibia
21
20
Tunisia flag
Tunisia
20
21
Gambia flag
Gambia
18
22
Zimbabwe flag
Zimbabwe
18
23
Gabon flag
Gabon
17
24
Congo flag
Congo
15
25
Central African Republic flag
Central African Republic
13
26
Equatorial Guinea flag
Equatorial Guinea
12
27
Kenya flag
Kenya
12
28
Mauritius flag
Mauritius
12
29
Sao Tome and Principe flag
Sao Tome and Principe
12
30
Angola flag
Angola
11
31
Chad flag
Chad
11
32
South Sudan flag
South Sudan
9
33
Uganda flag
Uganda
9
34
Côte d'Ivoire flag
Côte d'Ivoire
7
35
Comoros flag
Comoros
6
36
Ghana flag
Ghana
6
37
Malawi flag
Malawi
6
38
Eswatini flag
Eswatini
6
39
Algeria flag
Algeria
5
40
Cabo Verde flag
Cabo Verde
5
41
Burkina Faso flag
Burkina Faso
5
42
Lesotho flag
Lesotho
4
43
Senegal flag
Senegal
4
44
Niger flag
Niger
3
45
Guinea flag
Guinea
2
46
Morocco flag
Morocco
2
47
Benin flag
Benin
1
48
Burundi flag
Burundi
1
49
Cameroon flag
Cameroon
1
50
Ethiopia flag
Ethiopia
NaN
51
Nigeria flag
Nigeria
1
52
Rwanda flag
Rwanda
1
53
Saint Helena flag
Saint Helena
NaN
54
Somalia flag
Somalia
1
55
American Samoa flag
American Samoa
NaN
56
Solomon Islands flag
Solomon Islands
7
57
Australia flag
Australia
1
58
Northern Mariana Islands flag
Northern Mariana Islands
NaN
59
Cook Islands flag
Cook Islands
NaN
60
Nauru flag
Nauru
31
61
Trinidad and Tobago flag
Trinidad and Tobago
31
62
Kyrgyzstan flag
Kyrgyzstan
31
63
Vanuatu flag
Vanuatu
30
64
Dominican Republic flag
Dominican Republic
27
65
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines flag
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
27
66
Turkmenistan flag
Turkmenistan
27
67
New Zealand flag
New Zealand
26
68
Russia flag
Russia
25
69
Saint Lucia flag
Saint Lucia
22
70
Belize flag
Belize
21
71
Cuba flag
Cuba
20
72
Niue flag
Niue
19
73
Costa Rica flag
Costa Rica
15
74
Honduras flag
Honduras
15
75
Fiji flag
Fiji
10
76
French Polynesia flag
French Polynesia
NaN
77
Guam flag
Guam
NaN
78
Guatemala flag
Guatemala
15
79
Kiribati flag
Kiribati
12
80
New Caledonia flag
New Caledonia
NaN
81
Tokelau flag
Tokelau
NaN
82
Saint Kitts and Nevis flag
Saint Kitts and Nevis
19
83
Kazakhstan flag
Kazakhstan
16
84
El Salvador flag
El Salvador
15
85
Bahamas flag
Bahamas
10
86
Grenada flag
Grenada
7
87
Jamaica flag
Jamaica
6
88
Tonga flag
Tonga
4
89
Tuvalu flag
Tuvalu
1
90
Wallis and Futuna Islands flag
Wallis and Futuna Islands
NaN
91
Samoa flag
Samoa
1
92
Aruba flag
Aruba
NaN
93
Barbados flag
Barbados
30
94
Dominica flag
Dominica
3
95
Antigua and Barbuda flag
Antigua and Barbuda
1
96
Anguilla flag
Anguilla
NaN
97
Cayman Islands flag
Cayman Islands
NaN
98
Panama flag
Panama
3
99
Haiti flag
Haiti
1
100
Montserrat flag
Montserrat
NaN
101
Sint Maarten (Dutch part) flag
Sint Maarten (Dutch part)
NaN
102
Nicaragua flag
Nicaragua
15
103
Saint Martin (French part) flag
Saint Martin (French part)
NaN
104
Puerto Rico flag
Puerto Rico
NaN
105
Saint Barthélemy flag
Saint Barthélemy
NaN
106
Turks and Caicos Islands flag
Turks and Caicos Islands
NaN
107
Curaçao flag
Curaçao
NaN
108
British Virgin Islands flag
British Virgin Islands
NaN
109
United States Virgin Islands flag
United States Virgin Islands
NaN
110
Luxembourg flag
Luxembourg
183
111
Monaco flag
Monaco
141
112
Andorra flag
Andorra
127
113
Thailand flag
Thailand
123
114
Portugal flag
Portugal
114
115
Malaysia flag
Malaysia
31
116
Mongolia flag
Mongolia
29
117
Albania flag
Albania
28
118
Republic of Moldova flag
Republic of Moldova
27
119
Belarus flag
Belarus
25
120
Croatia flag
Croatia
25
121
Estonia flag
Estonia
24
122
Liechtenstein flag
Liechtenstein
23
123
Netherlands flag
Netherlands
23
124
Malta flag
Malta
21
125
Timor-Leste flag
Timor-Leste
20
126
Laos flag
Laos
19
127
Germany flag
Germany
18
128
Latvia flag
Latvia
18
129
Indonesia flag
Indonesia
17
130
Italy flag
Italy
17
131
Papua New Guinea flag
Papua New Guinea
16
132
Cyprus flag
Cyprus
16
133
Hungary flag
Hungary
16
134
Lithuania flag
Lithuania
16
135
North Korea flag
North Korea
15
136
South Korea flag
South Korea
15
137
Poland flag
Poland
11
138
Cambodia flag
Cambodia
9
139
Singapore flag
Singapore
9
140
North Macedonia flag
North Macedonia
8
141
Norway flag
Norway
7
142
Ireland flag
Ireland
6
143
Finland flag
Finland
6
144
Serbia flag
Serbia
5
145
Myanmar flag
Myanmar
4
146
Philippines flag
Philippines
4
147
Belgium flag
Belgium
4
148
Japan flag
Japan
3
149
Bulgaria flag
Bulgaria
3
150
Greece flag
Greece
3
151
Montenegro flag
Montenegro
3
152
Vietnam flag
Vietnam
2
153
Uzbekistan flag
Uzbekistan
1
154
Brunei Darussalam flag
Brunei Darussalam
1
155
China flag
China
1
156
Austria flag
Austria
NaN
157
Bosnia and Herzegovina flag
Bosnia and Herzegovina
1
158
Denmark flag
Denmark
NaN
159
Czech Republic flag
Czech Republic
1
160
Faroe Islands flag
Faroe Islands
NaN
161
France flag
France
NaN
162
Gibraltar flag
Gibraltar
NaN
163
Nepal flag
Nepal
176
164
Oman flag
Oman
165
165
Spain flag
Spain
149
166
Azerbaijan flag
Azerbaijan
30
167
Turkey flag
Turkey
29
168
Peru flag
Peru
28
169
Guyana flag
Guyana
26
170
Maldives flag
Maldives
26
171
Slovenia flag
Slovenia
25
172
Jordan flag
Jordan
25
173
Suriname flag
Suriname
25
174
Uruguay flag
Uruguay
25
175
Ukraine flag
Ukraine
24
176
Ecuador flag
Ecuador
24
177
Saudi Arabia flag
Saudi Arabia
23
178
Lebanon flag
Lebanon
22
179
Yemen flag
Yemen
22
180
Colombia flag
Colombia
20
181
Kuwait flag
Kuwait
19
182
Afghanistan flag
Afghanistan
19
183
Chile flag
Chile
18
184
Syrian Arab Republic flag
Syrian Arab Republic
17
185
Bhutan flag
Bhutan
17
186
Mexico flag
Mexico
16
187
Bangladesh flag
Bangladesh
16
188
Bahrain flag
Bahrain
15
189
India flag
India
15
190
Israel flag
Israel
14
191
Paraguay flag
Paraguay
14
192
Pakistan flag
Pakistan
14
193
Holy See flag
Holy See
11
194
Tajikistan flag
Tajikistan
9
195
Romania flag
Romania
9
196
Georgia flag
Georgia
9
197
Brazil flag
Brazil
7
198
Sweden flag
Sweden
6
199
Bolivia flag
Bolivia
6
200
Venezuela flag
Venezuela
5
201
Sri Lanka flag
Sri Lanka
4
202
San Marino flag
San Marino
3
203
Iraq flag
Iraq
3
204
United Arab Emirates flag
United Arab Emirates
2
205
Switzerland flag
Switzerland
1
206
United Kingdom flag
United Kingdom
NaN
207
United States flag
United States
4
208
Qatar flag
Qatar
3
209
Iran flag
Iran
1
210
Bermuda flag
Bermuda
NaN
211
Canada flag
Canada
1
212
Greenland flag
Greenland
NaN
213
Saint Pierre and Miquelon flag
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
NaN
214
Argentina flag
Argentina
9
215
Iceland flag
Iceland
1
216
Slovakia flag
Slovakia
1
217
Falkland Islands (Malvinas) flag
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
NaN

Top 10 Countries

  1. #1South Africa flagSouth Africa
  2. #2Botswana flagBotswana
  3. #3Congo, Democratic Republic of the flagCongo, Democratic Republic of the
  4. #4Seychelles flagSeychelles
  5. #5Egypt flagEgypt
  6. #6Mauritania flagMauritania
  7. #7Djibouti flagDjibouti
  8. #8Sierra Leone flagSierra Leone
  9. #9Togo flagTogo
  10. #10Liberia flagLiberia

Analysis: These countries represent the highest values in this dataset, showcasing significant scale and impact on global statistics.

Bottom 10 Countries

  1. #217Falkland Islands (Malvinas) flagFalkland Islands (Malvinas)
  2. #216Slovakia flagSlovakia
  3. #215Iceland flagIceland
  4. #214Argentina flagArgentina
  5. #213Saint Pierre and Miquelon flagSaint Pierre and Miquelon
  6. #212Greenland flagGreenland
  7. #211Canada flagCanada
  8. #210Bermuda flagBermuda
  9. #209Iran flagIran
  10. #208Qatar flagQatar

Context: These countries or territories have the lowest values, often due to geographic size, administrative status, or specific characteristics.

Analysis & Context

In 2021, Luxembourg leads the world in Independence with a score of 183, while the global range for this measure spans from a minimum of 1 to a maximum of 183. The average Independence score across countries is 19.95, providing a broad view of self-governance worldwide.

Understanding the Extremes in Independence Scores

The Independence scores for 2021 reveal a stark contrast between countries, with Luxembourg at the top and countries like the Czech Republic, Canada, and Uzbekistan at the bottom, each scoring just 1. This disparity can be attributed to various factors such as economic stability, historical governance structures, and geopolitical influences.

Luxembourg, with its robust economy and stable political environment, exemplifies how financial prosperity and effective governance can contribute to high independence. In contrast, countries like Canada and Switzerland, despite their economic strength, might score lower due to their strategic international alliances and interdependencies, which influence their perceived autonomy.

Regional Influences on Independence

Regional dynamics play a significant role in shaping a country's Independence score. In Europe, countries such as Luxembourg and Monaco showcase high levels of self-governance, likely due to their small size and economic specialization, which allow for more tailored governance approaches. Conversely, larger European nations like Spain and Portugal have lower scores, reflecting their complex internal structures and historical regionalism.

In Asia, Nepal and Oman rank among the top in Independence, suggesting that political reforms and strategic geopolitical positioning contribute to their higher scores. These countries have leveraged their unique geographical and political contexts to enhance self-governance.

Independence Scores and Economic Factors

Economic factors are closely intertwined with Independence scores. Countries with diversified economies and strong fiscal policies, like Luxembourg and Monaco, tend to have higher scores. Their economic resilience enables them to maintain autonomy in decision-making and policy implementation without over-reliance on external entities.

On the other hand, countries with significant economic challenges or heavy reliance on foreign aid, such as Burundi, often have lower Independence scores. These economic dependencies can limit their ability to exercise full self-governance, as external financial influences play a significant role in shaping domestic policies.

Stability in Year-over-Year Changes

The Independence scores for 2021 show no significant year-over-year changes, with an average change of 0.00 (0.0%). This stability suggests that the factors influencing a country's independence are deeply rooted and do not fluctuate significantly over short periods. Countries like Luxembourg, Nepal, and Oman maintained their positions without any notable increases or decreases, highlighting the entrenched nature of their independence-related characteristics.

This stability underscores the importance of long-term policy planning and sustained economic and political strategies to either maintain or improve a country's Independence score. The lack of significant movement also suggests that any future changes in rankings are likely to result from substantial policy shifts or global geopolitical developments.

In summary, the 2021 Independence scores reflect a complex interplay of economic, political, and regional factors. While economic strength and political stability generally correlate with higher scores, regional dynamics and historical contexts significantly influence a country's self-governance level. Understanding these nuances provides valuable insights into the global landscape of independence.

Data Source

CIA World Factbook

The World Factbook, also known as the CIA World Factbook, was a reference resource produced by the US Central Intelligence Agency between 1962 and 2026 with almanac-style information about the countries of the world. From 1971 it was not classified, and available to the public in print since 1975, initially by the CIA, and later the Government Publishing Office.

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Historical Data by Year

Explore Independence data across different years. Compare trends and see how statistics have changed over time.

More Government Facts