Mapped: Internet Freedom Around the World in 2026
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Key Takeaways
- 11 countries tie for the world’s freest internet (score: 92), spanning Europe, Latin America, and Asia.
- North Korea ranks last (0), with China, Russia, Iran, and Pakistan close behind (4).
- The U.S. (64) and UK (52) rank mid-pack, trailing leaders like Norway and Costa Rica.
How free is the internet where you live?
This map ranks 171 countries based on how freely people can access the internet. The results reveal stark global differences, from highly open systems in parts of Europe and Latin America to tightly controlled networks in countries like North Korea and China.
The data comes from a 2026 internet freedom index by Cloudwards, which evaluates national policies across four areas: torrenting, VPN availability, adult content, and political and civic expression.
Where Does the U.S. Rank?
The United States scores 64 out of 100, placing it in the global middle. It ranks alongside countries like Japan and Australia, and below top performers such as Norway (92) and Canada (84).
The UK scores even lower at 52, reflecting stricter regulations in areas like online content access.
The Freest Internet Access Worldwide
No country achieves a perfect score, but 11 countries across four continents share the top spot at 92.
These countries are Belgium, Costa Rica, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, Slovakia, Suriname, and Timor-Leste.
The data table below lists countries worldwide alongside their internet freedom scores.
| Country | Internet Freedom Score |
|---|---|
| Belgium | 92 |
| Costa Rica | 92 |
| Denmark | 92 |
| Finland | 92 |
| Iceland | 92 |
| Liechtenstein | 92 |
| New Zealand | 92 |
| Norway | 92 |
| Slovakia | 92 |
| Suriname | 92 |
| Timor-Leste | 92 |
| Andorra | 84 |
| Austria | 84 |
| Belize | 84 |
| Canada | 84 |
| Cape Verde | 84 |
| Chile | 84 |
| Côte d’Ivoire | 84 |
| Croatia | 84 |
| Dominican Republic | 84 |
| Greece | 84 |
| Guyana | 84 |
| Haiti | 84 |
| Jamaica | 84 |
| Kosovo | 84 |
| Lithuania | 84 |
| Luxembourg | 84 |
| Malta | 84 |
| Moldova | 84 |
| Montenegro | 84 |
| North Macedonia | 84 |
| Panama | 84 |
| Poland | 84 |
| Seychelles | 84 |
| Slovenia | 84 |
| Switzerland | 84 |
| Trinidad & Tobago | 84 |
| Uruguay | 84 |
| Ireland | 80 |
| Latvia | 80 |
| Portugal | 80 |
| Sweden | 80 |
| Argentina | 76 |
| Benin | 76 |
| Bolivia | 76 |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina | 76 |
| Cyprus | 76 |
| Fiji | 76 |
| Gambia | 76 |
| Hungary | 76 |
| Liberia | 76 |
| Madagascar | 76 |
| Mongolia | 76 |
| Namibia | 76 |
| Niger | 76 |
| Peru | 76 |
| Bulgaria | 72 |
| Estonia | 72 |
| Ghana | 72 |
| Guatemala | 72 |
| Italy | 72 |
| Mexico | 72 |
| Netherlands | 72 |
| Paraguay | 72 |
| Spain | 72 |
| Taiwan | 72 |
| Angola | 68 |
| Democratic Republic of Congo | 68 |
| Gabon | 68 |
| Malawi | 68 |
| Mali | 68 |
| Mauritius | 68 |
| Mozambique | 68 |
| Papua New Guinea | 68 |
| Republic of the Congo | 68 |
| Senegal | 68 |
| Albania | 64 |
| Australia | 64 |
| Botswana | 64 |
| Central African Republic | 64 |
| Ecuador | 64 |
| France | 64 |
| Georgia | 64 |
| Germany | 64 |
| Guinea-Bissau | 64 |
| Honduras | 64 |
| Hong Kong SAR China | 64 |
| Japan | 64 |
| Lesotho | 64 |
| Maldives | 64 |
| Morocco | 64 |
| Nicaragua | 64 |
| Nigeria | 64 |
| Romania | 64 |
| Serbia | 64 |
| South Africa | 64 |
| United States | 64 |
| Mauritania | 60 |
| Armenia | 56 |
| Burundi | 56 |
| Cameroon | 56 |
| Chad | 56 |
| Eswatini | 56 |
| Guinea | 56 |
| Lebanon | 56 |
| Palestine | 56 |
| Philippines | 56 |
| Rwanda | 56 |
| Tajikistan | 56 |
| Tunisia | 56 |
| Bhutan | 52 |
| Brazil | 52 |
| Colombia | 52 |
| Kenya | 52 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 52 |
| United Kingdom | 52 |
| Zambia | 52 |
| Algeria | 48 |
| Burkina Faso | 48 |
| Djibouti | 48 |
| Nepal | 48 |
| Sri Lanka | 48 |
| Tongo | 48 |
| Zimbabwe | 48 |
| Cambodia | 44 |
| El Salvador | 44 |
| Israel | 44 |
| Somalia | 44 |
| Ukraine | 44 |
| Azerbaijan | 36 |
| Cuba | 36 |
| Equatorial Guinea | 36 |
| Ethiopia | 36 |
| Jordan | 36 |
| Kazakhstan | 36 |
| Kuwait | 36 |
| Laos | 36 |
| Thailand | 36 |
| Venezuela | 36 |
| Bahrain | 32 |
| Malaysia | 32 |
| Singapore | 32 |
| South Korea | 32 |
| Libya | 28 |
| Tanzania | 28 |
| Afghanistan | 24 |
| Brunei | 24 |
| Indonesia | 24 |
| Qatar | 24 |
| Uganda | 24 |
| Uzbekistan | 24 |
| Vietnam | 24 |
| Bangladesh | 20 |
| Belarus | 20 |
| Oman | 20 |
| Iraq | 16 |
| Myanmar (Burma) | 16 |
| Turkmenistan | 16 |
| Egypt | 12 |
| India | 12 |
| Saudi Arabia | 12 |
| Sudan | 12 |
| Syria | 12 |
| Türkiye | 12 |
| United Arab Emirates | 12 |
| Yemen | 12 |
| China | 4 |
| Iran | 4 |
| Pakistan | 4 |
| Russia | 4 |
| North Korea | 0 |
European countries make up over half of this top echelon and are especially concentrated in the Nordics, where Sweden (80) is the only exception. The Nordic countries are widely known for their liberal, tolerant governments and societies.
Perhaps more surprising is the high placement of countries like Suriname and Timor-Leste, developing nations in South America and Asia that have nonetheless imposed minimal restrictions on social media use and online access.
The Bottom of the Scoreboard
On the other side of the spectrum is North Korea (0), where very few citizens have access to the global internet. Instead, most rely on the national intranet service, Kwangmyong, which filters out outside information.
Right behind North Korea are China and Russia, which tie with Iran and Pakistan for the next-lowest scores worldwide (4).
China’s Great Firewall is perhaps the world’s best-known censorship system, used to suppress criticism of the country’s leaders or content related to politically sensitive topics such as the Tiananmen Square protests. It also blocks access to foreign platforms like Facebook and YouTube.
Internet Access in the West
The United States (64) sits near the middle of the ranking, alongside developed democracies such as Australia, France, Germany, and Japan. The United Kingdom (52) scores slightly lower, with recent adult content legislation playing a role.
Across much of the Western world, scores remain relatively high, including in Canada (84), Ireland and Portugal (both 80), and Spain and Italy (both 72).
One notable outlier is South Korea (32), which ranks below countries like Cuba, Kazakhstan, and Venezuela (36), underscoring how content restrictions—not just political systems—shape internet freedom scores.
Learn More on the Voronoi App
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