Some of the biggest improvements came in the Middle East and North Africa, where Libya and Tunisia moved from 鈥淣ot Free鈥 to 鈥淧artly Free鈥 status after the downfall of repressive dictatorships. Overall, however, the Middle East remains one of the world鈥檚 worst regions for political freedom, with nearly 71 percent of inhabitants of the region living in countries designated as 鈥淣ot Free.鈥