Serbia
Flag of Serbia

Serbia

Freedom at a Glance
Global Freedom
57 / 100
Partly Free
Internet Freedom
71 / 100
Free
Nations in Transit
43 / 100
Transitional or Hybrid Regime

Serbia is a parliamentary democracy with competitive multiparty elections, but in recent years the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) has steadily eroded political rights and civil liberties, putting pressure on independent media, the political opposition, and civil society organizations.

Research & Recommendations

Serbia

Partly Free
57
100
PR Political Rights 18 40
CL Civil Liberties 39 60
Last Year's Score & Status
60 100 Partly Free
Global freedom statuses are calculated on a weighted scale. See the methodology.

Overview

Serbia is a parliamentary democracy with competitive multiparty elections, but in recent years the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) has steadily eroded political rights and civil liberties, putting pressure on independent media, the political opposition, and civil society organizations.

Previous Reports: 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024
Freedom in the World 2024 Policy Recommendations

Serbia

Free
71
100
A Obstacles to Access 22 25
B Limits on Content 24 35
C Violations of User Rights 25 40
Last Year's Score & Status
72 100 Free
Scores are based on a scale of 0 (least free) to 100 (most free). See the research methodology and report acknowledgements.

Overview

Serbia registered a slight decline in internet freedom during the coverage period. The country features high levels of internet access, limited website blocking, and strong constitutional protections for journalists. However, progovernment news sites, some of which are connected to the ruling party, engage in disinformation campaigns. The government has reportedly employed trolls on social media to advance its narrative and denigrate critics. The surveillance infrastructure poses concerns as well, with research showing that government agencies have used spyware surveillance tools, including Predator. Journalists continue to face strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPP) concerning “insults” or “slander” against public officials, though detentions and prison sentences in these cases are rare.

Previous Reports: 2021 | 2022 | 2023
Freedom on the Net 2023 Policy Recommendations

Serbia

Transitional or Hybrid Regime
43
100
DEMOCRACY-PERCENTAGE Democracy Percentage 43.45 100
DEMOCRACY-SCORE Democracy Score 3.61 7
Last Year's Democracy Percentage & Status
46 100 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.

Overview

Political life in Serbia in 2023 was impacted by several major shocks, from two mass shootings on May 3 and 4 to various events concerning Kosovo, including violence in May and September and agreements reached in Brussels and in the Macedonian city of Ohrid in February and March, respectively. The two shootings led to the largest protests of the century in Serbia, while the events in Kosovo brought pressure on the Serbian government from both the international community and the domestic public. The turmoil culminated in snap parliamentary and local elections held on December 17.

Previous Reports: 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024
Nations in Transit 2024 Policy Recommendations

News and Updates

Freedom House Perspectives

News Releases & Media Coverage

Country Facts

Basic Facts

Global Freedom Score
57
/ 100
Partly Free
Internet Freedom Score
71
/ 100
Free
Nations in Transit Score
43
/ 100
Transitional or Hybrid Regime
Population: 6,664,000

Internet Facts

Status
Free
Networks Restricted
No
Social Media Blocked
No
Websites Blocked
No
Pro-government Commentators
Yes
Users Arrested
No

Election Facts

Status
Past Election
Date of Election
December 17, 2023
Type of Election
Snap parliamentary
Internet Penetration
84.40%
Election Year
2023
Vulnerability Index
59
/ 100

Transnational Repression

Status
Not Tracked