Independence 2021
Independence measures a country's self-governance. Compare global rankings, explore interactive maps, and analyze historical trends.
Interactive Map
Complete Data Rankings
- #1
South Africa
- #2
Botswana
- #3
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
- #4
Seychelles
- #5
Egypt
- #6
Mauritania
- #7
Djibouti
- #8
Sierra Leone
- #9
Togo
- #10
Liberia
Analysis: These countries represent the highest values in this dataset, showcasing significant scale and impact on global statistics.
- #217
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
- #216
Slovakia
- #215
Iceland
- #214
Argentina
- #213
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
- #212
Greenland
- #211
Canada
- #210
Bermuda
- #209
Iran
- #208
Qatar
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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