Sweden Classed as One of the Freest Countries in the World 2017
Once again Sweden has been classed as one of the freest countries in the world, scoring 100 out of 100 in the annual report recently published by the US-based non-profit organization Freedom House. In 2017 this honor is shared by only the fellow Nordic countries Finland and Norway, though the detailed calculations behind the latest ranking have as of February not yet been released.
A close contender to the top ranking has always been Canada, which scored 99 points out of 100 in both 2016 and 2017. The reason for the hair wide divide between Canada and the Nordic countries was in 2016 stated to be the country’s rising prison population, which contrasts against steadily decreasing prison populations in the Nordic countries. In Sweden this development stems from fewer individuals committing serious crimes.
