Ukraine
Freedom at a Glance
Global Freedom
49 / 100
Partly Free
Internet Freedom
59 / 100
Partly Free
Nations in Transit
40 / 100
Transitional or Hybrid Regime
The Russian military’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 led to significant deterioration in the political rights and civil liberties enjoyed by Ukrainians.
Research & Recommendations
Ukraine
Partly Free
49
100
| PR Political Rights | 21 40 |
| CL Civil Liberties | 28 60 |
Last Year's Score & Status
50
100
Partly Free
Global freedom statuses are calculated on a weighted scale.
See the methodology.
Overview
The Russian armed forces launched an all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, inflicting massive civilian and military casualties and destroying civilian infrastructure. Millions of Ukrainians have been displaced from their homes, and Russian troops have engaged in extrajudicial executions, torture, and sexual violence against local residents. In areas subjected to longer periods of occupation, Russian authorities have used intimidation, arbitrary detention, and torture to assert control over political expression, the education system, and many other aspects of civilian life. The current Ukrainian administration has enacted a number of positive reforms as part of a drive to strengthen democratic institutions, but the country still struggles with corruption in the government, the judiciary, and other sectors.
Freedom in the World 2024 Policy Recommendations
Provide steady support and flexible funding to those on the front lines of the struggle against tyranny.
Democratic governments and donors must increase and sustain support for those working to defend and promote fundamental freedoms around the world. Failure to do so emboldens autocrats and can result in the loss of hard-won progress.
Uphold the rights of people living in disputed territories.
The events of the past year in places such as Nagorno-Karabakh and the Gaza Strip provided stark evidence that populations without self-determination are at greater risk of extreme human rights abuses or atrocities.
Protect free and fair elections in 2024.
At least 40 countries are holding national-level elections in 2024, and many more will conduct other types of balloting. Free and fair elections are a cornerstone of any democracy, and independent and transparent electoral processes are necessary to foster genuine competition and public trust.
Ukraine
Partly Free
59
100
| A Obstacles to Access | 18 25 |
| B Limits on Content | 22 35 |
| C Violations of User Rights | 19 40 |
Last Year's Score & Status
59
100
Partly Free
Scores are based on a scale of 0 (least free) to 100 (most free).
See the research methodology and report acknowledgements.
Political Overview
In the past decade, Ukraine has enacted a series of reforms to address issues like widespread corruption, a politicized judiciary, and attacks against journalists, activists, and members of ethnic and other minority groups. However, government initiatives to solve these problems sometimes suffer from a lack of political will, and have experienced setbacks. While the 2022 invasion forced the government to shift its primary focus from reform programs to more pressing wartime needs, authorities have continued work toward aligning legislation with European Union (EU) law. Since the Russian invasion of Crimea in 2014, the Ukrainian government has prosecuted individuals or groups perceived as threatening Ukrainian sovereignty.
Freedom on the Net 2024 Policy Recommendations
Promote freedom of expression and access to information
Freedom of expression online is increasingly under attack as governments shut off internet connectivity, block social media platforms, or restrict access to websites that host political, social, and religious speech. Protecting freedom of expression will require strong legal and regulatory safeguards for digital communications and access to information.
Defend information integrity
The potential consequences of false, misleading, and incendiary content are especially grave during election periods, underscoring the need to protect information integrity. Efforts to address the problem should start well before campaigning begins and continue long after the last vote is cast.
Combat disproportionate government surveillance
Governments worldwide have passed disproportionate surveillance laws and can access a booming commercial market for surveillance tools, giving them the capacity to monitor the private communications of individuals inside and beyond their borders in violation of international human rights standards.
Ukraine
Transitional or Hybrid Regime
40
100
| DEMOCRACY-PERCENTAGE Democracy Percentage | 40.48 100 |
| DEMOCRACY-SCORE Democracy Score | 3.43 7 |
Last Year's Democracy Percentage & Status
39
100
Transitional or Hybrid Regime
The ratings are based on a scale of 1 to 7, with 7 representing the highest level of democratic progress and 1 the lowest. The Democracy Score is an average of ratings for the categories tracked in a given year. The Democracy Percentage, introduced in 2020, is a translation of the Democracy Score to the 0-100 scale, where 0 equals least democratic and 100 equals most democratic.
See the methodology.
Executive Summary
In 2023, Ukraine continued to defend its territory and people against a full-scale Russian invasion that brought more damage and atrocities. According to UN figures, as of November there have been 28,500 civilian casualties in Ukraine since the war began, with 10,000 killed and 18,500 injured. These figures likely underestimate the number of casualties since they do not include data from the Ukrainian territories under Russian control. For instance, in Russian-controlled Mariupol city, Ukrainian authorities said that as of April there had been more than 20,000 casualties. As of September, the war had caused more than $150 billion in damage to Ukrainian infrastructure. More than a third of the damage affected the housing sector. In March, the World Bank estimated that Ukraine would need $411 billion for recovery and reconstruction. Since the Russian invasion, 3,790 educational and 1,661 medical facilities have been damaged or destroyed. In the middle of 2023, Ukraine was more affected by landmines than any other country, with landmines endangering an area larger than Florida. In June, the occupiers blew up the Kakhovka Dam, causing hundreds of casualties and the largest environmental disaster in the Black Sea area in decades. In December, a cyberattack disrupted service for customers of the country’s largest mobile operator, Kyivstar, which served 24 million subscribers. The cyberattack was likely orchestrated by the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) and was the most impactful cyberattack on the Ukrainian network since the war began. It took more than a week for Kyivstar to fully restore service. At the end of December, Russia launched its largest air attack yet on Ukraine, targeting 120 cities and villages and killing 39 people.
Nations in Transit 2024 Policy Recommendations
Ensure that Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine is soundly defeated.
The future of European democracy and security is now inextricably linked to the fate of Ukraine. European Union (EU) and NATO member states must not only invest far more—and more efficiently—in their collective defense, but also provide Ukraine with the assistance it needs to roll back Russian advances and build a durable democracy of its own.
Support democratic renewal and reform.
In addition to defending the international order from emboldened autocrats, democratic governments must attend to democratic renewal within Europe, particularly among nascent democracies.
Provide consistent messaging and support to Europe’s aspiring democracies.
Military aggression from autocracies in the region has underscored the dangers of exclusion from democracy-based organizations like the EU and NATO, galvanizing the political will of policymakers in aspiring member states and generating further public pressure to undertake long-sought democratic reforms.
Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian military invasion in February 2022, Russian authorities have intensified their policy of displacing Ukrainian children from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. However, the role of the Belarusian regime in aiding and abetting this policy has not received adequate attention. This report seeks to address this oversight by detailing how the Belarusian regime displaces, indoctrinates, reeducates, and militarizes Ukrainian children in the service of the broader Russian state policy of eradicating Ukrainian national and cultural identity.
Ukraine has long been home to a vibrant native civil society sector as well as many foreign dissidents and exiled activists. Its visa-free entry system for citizens from 81 countries and its record of democratic reforms have made it an attractive destination for people fleeing political repression. However, a lack of governmental awareness about the use of transnational repression by states other than Russia, cooperation between Ukrainian security services and those of foreign states, and an inefficient asylum system have prevented many exiles from finding long-term security in Ukraine.
Note: The research for this country report was completed before the Russian regime’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, meaning its analysis reflects prewar security and migration policies.
Policy Recommendations: Transnational Repression
Raising awareness about the threat of transnational repression.
Like-minded governments and international organizations should work together to highlight the threat of transnational repression and establish international norms for addressing it.
Limiting the ability of perpetrators to commit transnational repression.
This includes agreeing on a common definition of transnational repression, and prohibiting the use of Interpol notices on their own to deny immigration or asylum benefits or conduct arrests.
Bringing accountability for acts of transnational repression.
Among other tactics, governments should deploy a robust strategy for targeted sanctions against perpetrators of transnational repression.
Election Watch for the Digital Age equips technology companies, civil society organizations, and policymakers with a data-driven resource for evaluating the human rights impact of internet platforms on a country’s electoral process.
Our Election Vulnerability Index consists of key election-related indicators regarding a country’s political rights and internet freedom. Derived from our annual Freedom in the World and Freedom on the Net reports, the data and accompanying analysis allows users to identify specific areas of concern ahead of a country’s election, including online influence operations, internet shutdowns, or intercommunal tensions fanned by social media.
Previous Reports: 2024
How the Belarusian Regime is Erasing Ukrainian Children's Identity through Displacement, Re‑education, and Militarization
A new special report details how the Belarusian regime displaces, indoctrinates, reeducates, and militarizes Ukrainian children in the service of the broader Russian state policy of eradicating Ukrainian national and cultural identity.
News and Updates
Freedom House Perspectives
News Releases & Media Coverage
Policy & Advocacy
Country Facts
Basic Facts
Global Freedom Score
49
/ 100
Partly Free
Internet Freedom Score
59
/ 100
Partly Free
Nations in Transit Score
40
/ 100
Transitional or Hybrid Regime
Population: 38,000,000
Internet Facts
Status
Partly Free
Networks Restricted
No
Social Media Blocked
Yes
Websites Blocked
Yes
Pro-government Commentators
Yes
Users Arrested
Yes
Election Facts
Status
Currently Tracking
Date of Election
March 2024
Type of Election
Presidential
Internet Penetration
79.20%
Election Year
2024
Vulnerability Index
50
/ 100
Transnational Repression
Status
Host Country
Key Origin States
Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Uzbekistan
Best Practices
Domestic criminal law used in cases of transnational repression; Visa free entry for many nationalities