Global Right to Information Rating

"The results of the world's first rating of RTI [Right to Know] laws in 89 countries shows a significant spread: out of a possible total of 150 points, the range is from 37 points (Germany) to 135 points (Serbia). The vast majority of countries have a score over 60 out of 150 points (87% of countries have over 60 points). Europe overall accounts for 15 of the bottom 20....The analysis shows vast room for improvement: two thirds of countries (64%) scored in the middle range, between 60 and 100 points out of 150. Typical weaknesses were the limited scope, over-broad exceptions regimes, shortcomings in oversight and appeals mechanisms, and lack of legal requirements to promote awareness of the public's right of access to information. The top 20 countries with scores over 100 tend to be younger laws which reflect the progress made in international standard setting on this right in the past 20 years: with the exception of Finland (a score of 105 for a legal framework which includes a law adopted in 1951) the average age of the laws in the top 20 countries is just 5 years...."