Freedom of expression - Country rankings

* indicates monthly or quarterly data series

Freedom of expression, 2022:

The average for 2022 based on 171 countries was 0.63 index points. The highest value was in Denmark: 0.988 index points and the lowest value was in North Korea: 0.013 index points. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2022. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Measure: index points; Source: Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem)
Select indicator
* indicates monthly or quarterly data series


Countries Freedom of expression, 2022 Global rank Available data
Denmark 0.988 1 1960 - 2022
Switzerland 0.987 2 1960 - 2022
Ireland 0.981 3 1960 - 2022
Belgium 0.976 4 1960 - 2022
Finland 0.974 5 1960 - 2022
France 0.974 6 1960 - 2022
Norway 0.972 7 1960 - 2022
Estonia 0.966 8 1990 - 2022
Luxembourg 0.964 9 1960 - 2022
Portugal 0.964 10 1960 - 2022
Sweden 0.963 11 1960 - 2022
Slovakia 0.962 12 1993 - 2022
New Zealand 0.961 13 1960 - 2022
USA 0.957 14 1960 - 2022
Australia 0.955 15 1960 - 2022
Canada 0.955 16 1960 - 2022
Czechia 0.953 17 1960 - 2022
Germany 0.953 18 1960 - 2022
Italy 0.943 19 1960 - 2022
UK 0.943 20 1960 - 2022
Latvia 0.941 21 1990 - 2022
Jamaica 0.94 22 1960 - 2022
Tr.&Tobago 0.94 23 1960 - 2022
Domin. Rep. 0.939 24 1960 - 2022
Seychelles 0.937 25 1960 - 2022
Argentina 0.934 26 1960 - 2022
Chile 0.934 27 1960 - 2022
Spain 0.934 28 1960 - 2022
Barbados 0.927 29 1960 - 2022
Lithuania 0.914 30 1990 - 2022
Iceland 0.911 31 1960 - 2022
Netherlands 0.909 32 1960 - 2022
Ghana 0.901 33 1960 - 2022
Ecuador 0.897 34 1960 - 2022
South Korea 0.889 35 1960 - 2022
Cape Verde 0.887 36 1960 - 2022
Vanuatu 0.885 37 1960 - 2022
Austria 0.882 38 1960 - 2022
Senegal 0.881 39 1960 - 2022
Taiwan 0.881 40 1960 - 2022
Japan 0.877 41 1960 - 2022
S.T.&Principe 0.877 42 1960 - 2022
Moldova 0.873 43 1990 - 2022
Georgia 0.872 44 1990 - 2022
Honduras 0.871 45 1960 - 2022
Liberia 0.871 46 1960 - 2022
Peru 0.87 47 1960 - 2022
Israel 0.868 48 1960 - 2022
Uruguay 0.867 49 1960 - 2022
Kenya 0.866 50 1960 - 2022
Sierra Leone 0.861 51 1960 - 2022
Suriname 0.86 52 1960 - 2022
Papua N.G. 0.849 53 1960 - 2022
Bulgaria 0.848 54 1960 - 2022
Zambia 0.845 55 1960 - 2022
Guyana 0.844 56 1960 - 2022
South Africa 0.842 57 1960 - 2022
Niger 0.838 58 1960 - 2022
Cyprus 0.836 59 1960 - 2022
Romania 0.835 60 1960 - 2022
Panama 0.834 61 1960 - 2022
Greece 0.833 62 1960 - 2022
Slovenia 0.832 63 1989 - 2022
Botswana 0.831 64 1960 - 2022
Malawi 0.831 65 1960 - 2022
Nepal 0.831 66 1960 - 2022
Mongolia 0.828 67 1960 - 2022
Lesotho 0.821 68 1960 - 2022
Malta 0.814 69 1960 - 2022
Namibia 0.814 70 1960 - 2022
Nigeria 0.812 71 1960 - 2022
Montenegro 0.809 72 1998 - 2022
Gambia 0.803 73 1960 - 2022
Solomon Isl. 0.796 74 1960 - 2022
Burkina Faso 0.793 75 1960 - 2022
Colombia 0.792 76 1960 - 2022
Armenia 0.783 77 1990 - 2022
Bolivia 0.783 78 1960 - 2022
Croatia 0.78 79 1991 - 2022
Benin 0.771 80 1960 - 2022
Paraguay 0.769 81 1960 - 2022
Tanzania 0.754 82 1960 - 2022
Maldives 0.75 83 1960 - 2022
North Macedonia 0.73 84 1991 - 2022
Indonesia 0.725 85 1960 - 2022
Mali 0.717 86 1960 - 2022
Tunisia 0.716 87 1960 - 2022
Gabon 0.704 88 1960 - 2022
Mauritania 0.701 89 1960 - 2022
C.A. Republic 0.7 90 1960 - 2022
Albania 0.681 91 1960 - 2022
Madagascar 0.677 92 1960 - 2022
Ivory Coast 0.672 93 1960 - 2022
Mexico 0.672 94 1960 - 2022
Bhutan 0.657 95 1960 - 2022
Angola 0.64 96 1960 - 2022
Sri Lanka 0.638 97 1960 - 2022
Haiti 0.637 98 1960 - 2022
Hungary 0.629 99 1960 - 2022
Bosnia & Herz. 0.627 100 1992 - 2022
Lebanon 0.619 101 1960 - 2022
Poland 0.611 102 1960 - 2022
Malaysia 0.597 103 1960 - 2022
Mauritius 0.597 104 1960 - 2022
Morocco 0.592 105 1960 - 2022
G.-Bissau 0.589 106 1960 - 2022
Mozambique 0.589 107 1960 - 2022
Kuwait 0.587 108 1960 - 2022
Brazil 0.586 109 1960 - 2022
Pakistan 0.586 110 1960 - 2022
Togo 0.585 111 1960 - 2022
Kyrgyzstan 0.584 112 1990 - 2022
Cameroon 0.574 113 1961 - 2022
Comoros 0.572 114 1960 - 2022
DR Congo 0.562 115 1960 - 2022
Ukraine 0.545 116 1990 - 2022
Guatemala 0.54 117 1960 - 2022
Philippines 0.54 118 1960 - 2022
Serbia 0.536 119 1960 - 2022
Libya 0.523 120 1960 - 2022
Guinea 0.494 121 1960 - 2022
Uganda 0.483 122 1960 - 2022
Fiji 0.466 123 1960 - 2022
Kazakhstan 0.45 124 1990 - 2022
Algeria 0.449 125 1960 - 2022
India 0.448 126 1960 - 2022
Jordan 0.444 127 1960 - 2022
Ethiopia 0.438 128 1960 - 2022
Singapore 0.438 129 1960 - 2022
Sudan 0.418 130 1960 - 2022
Iraq 0.409 131 1960 - 2022
El Salvador 0.388 132 1960 - 2022
Somalia 0.377 133 1960 - 2022
Djibouti 0.374 134 1960 - 2022
Thailand 0.296 135 1960 - 2022
Zimbabwe 0.27 136 1960 - 2022
Chad 0.262 137 1960 - 2022
Uzbekistan 0.262 138 1990 - 2022
Hong Kong 0.253 139 1960 - 2022
Bangladesh 0.252 140 1971 - 2022
Rwanda 0.238 141 1960 - 2022
Azerbaijan 0.234 142 1990 - 2022
Cambodia 0.225 143 1960 - 2022
Oman 0.225 144 1960 - 2022
Venezuela 0.224 145 1960 - 2022
Iran 0.213 146 1960 - 2022
Vietnam 0.208 147 1960 - 2022
Russia 0.185 148 1960 - 2022
Yemen 0.183 149 1960 - 2022
R. of Congo 0.175 150 1960 - 2022
Burundi 0.173 151 1960 - 2022
UA Emirates 0.158 152 1971 - 2022
Turkey 0.144 153 1960 - 2022
Egypt 0.118 154 1960 - 2022
Saudi Arabia 0.117 155 1960 - 2022
Bahrain 0.115 156 1960 - 2022
Eq. Guinea 0.114 157 1960 - 2022
Swaziland 0.11 158 1960 - 2022
Cuba 0.101 159 1960 - 2022
Tajikistan 0.1 160 1990 - 2022
Qatar 0.084 161 1960 - 2022
Nicaragua 0.074 162 1960 - 2022
Turkmenistan 0.059 163 1990 - 2022
China 0.058 164 1960 - 2022
Burma 0.056 165 1960 - 2022
Eritrea 0.055 166 1960 - 2022
Laos 0.046 167 1960 - 2022
Afghanistan 0.04 168 1960 - 2022
Belarus 0.03 169 1990 - 2022
Syria 0.027 170 1960 - 2022
North Korea 0.013 171 1960 - 2022



Definition: Measures the government respect for press and media freedom, political discussion, and academic and cultural expression.

Selected articles from our guide:

The unholy trinity of international finance

Most commonly used measures of corruption

All articles

1. Denmark
2. Switzerland
3. Ireland
4. Belgium
5. Finland
6. France
7. Norway
8. Estonia
9. Luxembourg
10. Portugal
11. Sweden
12. Slovakia
13. New Zealand
14. USA
15. Australia
16. Canada
17. Czechia
18. Germany
19. Italy
20. UK
21. Latvia
22. Jamaica
23. Tr.&Tobago
24. Domin. Rep.
25. Seychelles
26. Argentina
27. Chile
28. Spain
29. Barbados
30. Lithuania
31. Iceland
32. Netherlands
33. Ghana
34. Ecuador
35. South Korea
36. Cape Verde
37. Vanuatu
38. Austria
39. Senegal
40. Taiwan
41. Japan
42. S.T.&Principe
43. Moldova
44. Georgia
45. Honduras
46. Liberia
47. Peru
48. Israel
49. Uruguay
50. Kenya
51. Sierra Leone
52. Suriname
53. Papua N.G.
54. Bulgaria
55. Zambia
56. Guyana
57. South Africa
58. Niger
59. Cyprus
60. Romania
61. Panama
62. Greece
63. Slovenia
64. Botswana
65. Malawi
66. Nepal
67. Mongolia
68. Lesotho
69. Malta
70. Namibia
71. Nigeria
72. Montenegro
73. Gambia
74. Solomon Isl.
75. Burkina Faso
76. Colombia
77. Armenia
78. Bolivia
79. Croatia
80. Benin
81. Paraguay
82. Tanzania
83. Maldives
84. North Macedonia
85. Indonesia
86. Mali
87. Tunisia
88. Gabon
89. Mauritania
90. C.A. Republic
91. Albania
92. Madagascar
93. Ivory Coast
94. Mexico
95. Bhutan
96. Angola
97. Sri Lanka
98. Haiti
99. Hungary
100. Bosnia & Herz.
101. Lebanon
102. Poland
103. Malaysia
104. Mauritius
105. Morocco
106. G.-Bissau
107. Mozambique
108. Kuwait
109. Brazil
110. Pakistan
111. Togo
112. Kyrgyzstan
113. Cameroon
114. Comoros
115. DR Congo
116. Ukraine
117. Guatemala
118. Philippines
119. Serbia
120. Libya
121. Guinea
122. Uganda
123. Fiji
124. Kazakhstan
125. Algeria
126. India
127. Jordan
128. Ethiopia
129. Singapore
130. Sudan
131. Iraq
132. El Salvador
133. Somalia
134. Djibouti
135. Thailand
136. Zimbabwe
137. Chad
138. Uzbekistan
139. Hong Kong
140. Bangladesh
141. Rwanda
142. Azerbaijan
143. Cambodia
144. Oman
145. Venezuela
146. Iran
147. Vietnam
148. Russia
149. Yemen
150. R. of Congo
151. Burundi
152. UA Emirates
153. Turkey
154. Egypt
155. Saudi Arabia
156. Bahrain
157. Eq. Guinea
158. Swaziland
159. Cuba
160. Tajikistan
161. Qatar
162. Nicaragua
163. Turkmenistan
164. China
165. Burma
166. Eritrea
167. Laos
168. Afghanistan
169. Belarus
170. Syria
171. North Korea
0.988
0.987
0.981
0.976
0.974
0.974
0.972
0.966
0.964
0.964
0.963
0.962
0.961
0.957
0.955
0.955
0.953
0.953
0.943
0.943
0.941
0.940
0.940
0.939
0.937
0.934
0.934
0.934
0.927
0.914
0.911
0.909
0.901
0.897
0.889
0.887
0.885
0.882
0.881
0.881
0.877
0.877
0.873
0.872
0.871
0.871
0.870
0.868
0.867
0.866
0.861
0.860
0.849
0.848
0.845
0.844
0.842
0.838
0.836
0.835
0.834
0.833
0.832
0.831
0.831
0.831
0.828
0.821
0.814
0.814
0.812
0.809
0.803
0.796
0.793
0.792
0.783
0.783
0.780
0.771
0.769
0.754
0.750
0.730
0.725
0.717
0.716
0.704
0.701
0.700
0.681
0.677
0.672
0.672
0.657
0.640
0.638
0.637
0.629
0.627
0.619
0.611
0.597
0.597
0.592
0.589
0.589
0.587
0.586
0.586
0.585
0.584
0.574
0.572
0.562
0.545
0.540
0.540
0.536
0.523
0.494
0.483
0.466
0.450
0.449
0.448
0.444
0.438
0.438
0.418
0.409
0.388
0.377
0.374
0.296
0.270
0.262
0.262
0.253
0.252
0.238
0.234
0.225
0.225
0.224
0.213
0.208
0.185
0.183
0.175
0.173
0.158
0.144
0.118
0.117
0.115
0.114
0.110
0.101
0.100
0.084
0.074
0.059
0.058
0.056
0.055
0.046
0.040
0.030
0.027
0.013
0
0.2
0.5
0.7
0.99


This site uses cookies.
Learn more here


OK