Washington, D.C. – Freedom House released its "Freedom in the World 2026" report on Thursday and ranked Tibet among the world's least free countries with zero (0) in political and civil liberties. The report said that "CCP authorities control news media in Tibet even more strictly than in other areas of the country. Tibetans are unable to establish and operate nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) without facing punishment by the Chinese authorities. Private and monastery schools have been shut down in recent years in an effort to force students into government-run schools."
Freedom House, an independent organisation dedicated to promoting freedom around the world, released its annual report, "Freedom in the World 2026: The Growing Shadow of Autocracy," on March 19, 2026. Tibet has been ranked the least free country in the world, with zero (0/100) in political (-2/40) and civil liberties (2/60) in 2025, Tibet has been ranked as the least free countries since 2015.
“Even as 2026 has brought new opportunities for those living under authoritarian rule from Venezuela to Iran, the last 20 years have been a dark period for global freedom,” said Jamie Fly, chief executive officer of Freedom House. “Armed conflict, coups, attacks on democratic institutions, and crackdowns on rights by authoritarians have now resulted in two full decades of decline. Those who still enjoy the blessings of freedom must do more to counter authoritarianism and provide more effective support for the democratic aspirations of people standing up to repression around the world, or this persistent decline will continue.”
Freedom in the World 2026 report includes scores and country reports on political rights and civil liberties in 195 countries and 13 territories around the globe. A total of 54 countries experienced deterioration in their political rights and civil liberties during the year, while only 35 countries registered improvements.
The Freedom House report states that 40% of the population across the 195 countries and territories surveyed live without freedom. Tibet ranked among the countries with the lowest overall scores in political rights (-2/40) and civil liberties (2/60), with an overall score of zero. Since 2005, Tibet has been among the lowest-ranked countries and territories in the “Freedom in the World” report.
The report of Freedom House states, "CCP authorities control news media in Tibet even more strictly than in other areas of the country. Individuals who use the internet, social media, or other means to share politically sensitive news or commentary face arrest and heavy criminal penalties. Dozens of Tibetans have been arrested for phone- and internet‑related offenses in recent years, such as sending photos to people outside of the TAR and keeping “banned content”—like references to Tibetan religious practices—on their devices. Use of the Tibetan language is banned on a range of social media applications, particularly those that feature streaming and live communication services."
"Chinese authorities severely restrict freedom of assembly as part of the government’s intensified “stability maintenance” policies in Tibet. Control and surveillance of public gatherings extend beyond major towns to villages and rural areas. Even nonviolent protesters are rapidly and often violently dispersed and harshly punished. Despite the restrictions, Tibetans continue to express their views on government policies through sporadic solitary or small-scale protests in public places, though they are usually arrested immediately by police," it added.
The report states, "Tibetans are unable to establish and operate nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) without facing punishment by the authorities. Even seemingly apolitical social and community engagement is not tolerated. Many Tibetans working for environmental protection or Tibetan language preservation, for example, have been imprisoned. Foreign NGOs are generally not allowed to operate in Tibet."
Regarding the freedom of expression and belief in Tibet, the report of freedom house said, "Religious practice is carefully managed and restricted in Tibet. Chinese authorities view Tibetan reverence for the Dalai Lama and adherence to the region’s unique form of Buddhism as a threat to CCP rule. In recent years, the Chinese government has asserted that only the CCP has the power to choose the next Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama has rejected this claim, saying only a trust that he created will have the authority to identify the next Dalai Lama, who, according to Tibetan Buddhist beliefs, will be a reincarnation of the current leader. Tibetan Buddhist clergy and lay believers are forced to denounce the Dalai Lama, pledge their loyalty to the CCP and socialism above their religious beliefs, and attend political reeducation sessions. People who possess Dalai Lama–related materials, especially in the TAR, are routinely detained and at times criminally prosecuted."
"In April 2025, a monastery affiliated with highly respected Tibetan Buddhist leader Tulku Hungkar Dorje announced that he had died in custody in Vietnam the previous month. Hungkar Dorje had reportedly gone missing eight months prior to his death after publicly promoting Tibetan language and culture. International rights groups and members of the Tibetan diaspora called for an independent investigation into his disappearance and death; in August, a group of UN experts sent communications to the governments of China and Vietnam, expressing concern and requesting additional information about the case. The circumstances of Hungkar Dorje’s arrest and death remained unclear at year’s end," it continued.
The report added by saying, "University professors and schoolteachers cannot address certain topics, and many must attend political indoctrination sessions. The government restricts course materials to suppress unofficial versions of Tibetan history and has phased out the use of Tibetan as the language of instruction in schools. Private and monastery schools have been shut down in recent years in an effort to force students into government-run schools—many of them boarding schools—where Mandarin is the only language of instruction."
"Freedom of expression, including in private, is severely limited by factors including authorities’ monitoring of electronic communications, a heavy security presence, recruitment of informants, regular ideological campaigns in Tibetan areas, and harsh punishments for those who post social media content on sensitive subjects. The authorities in Tibet make use of an invasive security and censorship system featuring nearly ubiquitous video cameras, facial-recognition technology, “smart” identity cards, and integrated surveillance systems that allow tracking of residents and tourists in real time. Hundreds of “security centers” operate across the region, with more than 130 in Lhasa alone. Tibetans are regularly detained or imprisoned for expressing support for Tibetan independence, sharing images of the Dalai Lama, sending politically sensitive information abroad, or engaging in other forms of cultural expression," the report stated.
The freedom report stated," Tibetans are systematically denied due process in criminal matters. Among other abuses, they are subjected to arbitrary arrest, denial of family visits, long periods of enforced disappearance, solitary confinement, and illegal pretrial detention. Authorities often fail to inform families of the detention, whereabouts, and well-being of loved ones and threaten them with punishment for revealing information. Tibetans have even less access to legal representation of their choice than Han Chinese; lawyers seeking to defend them are routinely harassed, denied access to their clients, blocked from attending relevant hearings, and in some cases such attorneys have been disbarred in retaliation for their efforts. Trials are closed if state security interests are invoked, which sometimes occurs even when no political crime is listed. Hundreds of political or religious prisoners are believed to be detained in the TAR or adjacent Tibetan areas."
While reporting situation of Tibetan political prisoners, the report states,"Detained suspects and prisoners are subject to torture and other forms of ill-treatment. Many Tibetan prisoners of conscience die in custody under circumstances indicating torture, and others are released with severe injuries and in extremely poor health, apparently to avoid deaths in custody. Many of the latter subsequently succumb to their injuries."
The Freedom House report declares,"Ethnic Tibetans face a range of socioeconomic disadvantages and discriminatory treatment by employers, law enforcement agencies, and other official bodies. The dominant role of the Chinese language in education and employment limits opportunities for rural Tibetans, 80 percent of whom have no or limited Mandarin language skills. Increased Mandarin language testing for employment has disadvantaged ethnic Tibetans seeking more lucrative positions. While Tibetans are supposed to receive preferential treatment in university admission examinations, Tibetan students often face insurmountable obstacles when seeking admission to top-tier national-level secondary schools. Tibetans who apply for public-sector jobs are required to denounce the Dalai Lama, renounce their religious beliefs, and demonstrate their political loyalty in ways that fundamentally negate their ethnic and cultural identity."
"While Han Chinese tourists can travel to Tibet, the movements of foreign tourists, journalists, diplomats, and others are tightly controlled, and they are often denied entry. Tibetans face nearly insurmountable hurdles in acquiring a passport for foreign travel, and the authorities have been known to arbitrarily confiscate valid passports from those who have been able to obtain them. Foreign nationals of Tibetan origin face enormous challenges when seeking a visa to visit Tibet, often waiting for years only for their request to be denied," it continued.
"Increased China-Nepal cooperation and heightened security along the countries’ shared border has made it difficult for Tibetans to cross into Nepal. Some Tibetan pilgrims who travel abroad face detention upon return to China," it added.
The report further said,"In recent years, the Chinese government has imposed policies of mandatory boarding for Tibetan students. Increasingly young children are coerced into a system of politicized educational indoctrination that displaces the children’s native language, culture, and religion. Authorities regularly use fines and the threat of arrest or denial of services to coerce parents into sending their children to the government boarding schools. In many cases, children as young as four are forced to spend five days a week at boarding school, away from their families, where they learn in an unfamiliar linguistic and cultural setting. This state-driven linguistic dispossession creates a language barrier between many children and their parents and grandparents, harming Tibetan family life and cultural foundations."
"Exploitative employment practices are pervasive in many industries, as is the case across China, though ethnic Tibetans report additional disadvantages in hiring and compensation. Human trafficking that targets Tibetan women can lead to forced prostitution or exploitative employment in domestic service and other economic sectors elsewhere in China. The herders, farmers, and other Tibetans who are forced off their rural land and resettled in towns and cities are extremely vulnerable to exploitation by public and private employers alike," the report of Freedom House concluded.
