What single word (≤7 letters) completes all blanks in this countries chart?

[AviatorTom]

TheChart of Most and Least Countries

I'm back from my month-long European vacation...

With an interesting question.

The attached chart shows a list of the MOST and LEAST countries in a particular category.

Each of the three white boxes can all filled with the same word to make the chart make sense.

Using the information in the chart, can you add the correct word?

Correct answer will be given in a few days, Wednesday.

Hint: The word is no longer than 7 characters.

Updates

1 mo

The missing word is FREE.

Congratulations to those who got it.

[NathanDavis]

welcome back... lol

you survived all those viruses

the answer is still there at the chart but yeah... it seems kind of obvious when you see Sudan divided and right there with Turkmenistan and North Korea, lol

probably the most controlled and surveilled countries on earth

[molonski2]

USA 81 %
Australia 94 %

NZ 99% and Denmark about same?

Really?

When my daughter husband came to Australia ( from Denmark ) he said..
" WTF , they think everyone stupid or something"

I agreed with him.

Welcome back , hope it was a great time.

[AviatorTom]

@molonski2 Thanks. It was busy... and fun!

[purplepoppy]

Free. The clues in the picture text.

Oh, and welcome back, we'll done for not getting hantavirus on the cruise

[AviatorTom]

@purplepoppy Thanks! I didn't want to make it too hard. 😉

[ElenaSeluna]

It’s obviously related to “freedom”.. but I am choosing another word for it…. “Lucky” ..

[goaded]

Uh, "free"? It's the "freedom score", after all!

And "the US lost 3 points in its sharpest annual drop on record",

In 2025. With Trump as president.

[goaded]

On a par with South Africa. #70 in the world.

[slatyb]

Duuuh, it's shown at the top of the chart. I was pretty sure of the answer seeing the list order. The word is "Free".

[Massageman]

Since the word "freedom" is already on the chart as a header, I'll go with "freedom" for $200, Alex.

[RichardCranium6201]

The word u are looking for is free. Most free least free

[genericname85]

Your picture gives it away. it says freedom score on the top of the left column.

[genericname85]

But I think you'll find this correlates strongly with most quality of life measures.

[jamesgoldman]

Free/freedom is given to us

Without that I'd probably have said happy

[Cidknee]

I couldn't go with what's said, "freedom". But I see that is it. Kind of tricky.

[KostasKouvalis]

FREE. No joke, this literally just appeared in my feed🤣

I had to look up though if that symbol is less then or greater than. I hadn't seen that symbol in ages

[OlderAndWiser]

Free

[DryGermanGuy]

Fair? Free? Fantastic? 🤔

[strateguy632]

"free" the word liberty

[Shiprex]

I was gonna say free or happy.

[jennifer_bloom]

Most happy and least happy. I would say.

[Anonymous]

It's already there: freedom