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The world average score of 60.8 is a 0.3-point setback from last year. Yet that is still the third-highest global score recorded in the history of the Index. Among the 180 countries ranked, scores improved for 81 countries and declined for 92. Seven remained unchanged. Six economies earned the Index’s designation of “free” (scores of 80 or above), while the next 88 are classified as “mostly free” (70-79.9) or “moderately free” (60-69.9). The United States continued to improve its standing, recording a score of 76.8, more than a full point above its score in the 2018 Index. It jumped six spots in the global rankings from last year, from No. 18 to No. 12. At No. 8, Canada had the highest score in the Americas.