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Rabat – Morocco has ranked 130th globally in the 2024 Human Freedom Index (HFI), published by the American Cato Institute and the Canadian Fraser Institute. The country’s ranking saw an improvement of five places compared to 2022.
Morocco scored 4.81 points in the personal freedom index (148 globally) and 5.49 points in human freedom (130 globally). The country performed better in economic freedom with a score of 6.46 points, ranking 90th worldwide.
Breaking down the personal freedom score, Morocco earned four points for the rule of law, 8.6 points for safety and security, 3.6 points for religious freedom, 5.1 points for the freedom of assembly and association, 5.7 points for freedom of movement, and 3.6 points in freedom of expression and information.
However, Morocco scored zero points in the sexual freedom index related to LGBTQ+ rights, lowering its “relationships” score to 3.1. In the same category, the country received 2.5 points in the divorce index, zero points in inheritance rights, and 10 points in female genital mutilation.
In economic freedom, the country received seven points in regard to the size of the government, 5.3 points for its legal system and property rights, 7.1 in freedom to trade internationally, and 6.5 in regulation.
Read also: Morocco Ranks 170th Worldwide in LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index 2022
Morocco ranked 9th in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, behind Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Tunisia, Lebanon, the UAE, Oman, and Bahrain, respectively.
The report noted that human freedom has deteriorated significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, with declines in freedom of movement, expression, assembly, and organization. Despite improvements in 2022, global human freedom levels remain lower than pre-pandemic times, the report said.
“After having fallen significantly in 2020 and further in 2021, human freedom increased in 2022 but remained well below its pre-pandemic level,” reads the report.
The HFI ranks 165 countries total representing 95% of the world’s population.
The highest levels of freedom are found in regions such as North America, Western Europe, and Oceania, while the lowest levels are in the Middle East, North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South Asia.
Switzerland led the global rankings, followed by New Zealand, Denmark, Luxembourg, and Ireland, respectively.
