Western Balkan countries remain partly free according to the latest annual Freedom House report, published from Washington. The report shows that 54 countries experienced a deterioration of political rights and civil liberties, while only 35 showed improvements.

Global freedom has declined for the twentieth consecutive year, Freedom House data shows. This long-term trend confirms concerns about the state of democracy worldwide.

Kosovo and Albania continue to be classified as partly free nations. The report analyzes political rights, civil liberties, media freedom and judicial independence in each country.

For the Western Balkan countries, the challenges remain similar - concentration of power, pressure on media and weaknesses in the rule of law continue to hinder democratic processes in the region.