Freedom of expression - Country rankings

* indicates monthly or quarterly data series

Freedom of expression, 2023:

The average for 2023 based on 171 countries was 0.623 index points. The highest value was in Denmark: 0.987 index points and the lowest value was in North Korea: 0.014 index points. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2023. 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, 2023 Global rank Available data
Denmark 0.987 1 1960 - 2023
Switzerland 0.981 2 1960 - 2023
Belgium 0.977 3 1960 - 2023
Ireland 0.977 4 1960 - 2023
Finland 0.97 5 1960 - 2023
Estonia 0.968 6 1990 - 2023
France 0.968 7 1960 - 2023
New Zealand 0.963 8 1960 - 2023
Luxembourg 0.96 9 1960 - 2023
Canada 0.959 10 1960 - 2023
Germany 0.956 11 1960 - 2023
Czechia 0.954 12 1960 - 2023
Sweden 0.954 13 1960 - 2023
Chile 0.952 14 1960 - 2023
Portugal 0.951 15 1960 - 2023
UK 0.95 16 1960 - 2023
USA 0.946 17 1960 - 2023
Austria 0.945 18 1960 - 2023
Latvia 0.944 19 1990 - 2023
Argentina 0.94 20 1960 - 2023
Norway 0.94 21 1960 - 2023
Tr.&Tobago 0.938 22 1960 - 2023
Slovakia 0.935 23 1993 - 2023
Australia 0.933 24 1960 - 2023
Domin. Rep. 0.931 25 1960 - 2023
Barbados 0.927 26 1960 - 2023
Jamaica 0.923 27 1960 - 2023
Vanuatu 0.913 28 1960 - 2023
Italy 0.912 29 1960 - 2023
Seychelles 0.912 30 1960 - 2023
Uruguay 0.911 31 1960 - 2023
Brazil 0.909 32 1960 - 2023
Spain 0.904 33 1960 - 2023
Iceland 0.896 34 1960 - 2023
Netherlands 0.895 35 1960 - 2023
Lithuania 0.891 36 1990 - 2023
Ghana 0.882 37 1960 - 2023
Honduras 0.881 38 1960 - 2023
Taiwan 0.881 39 1960 - 2023
Cape Verde 0.878 40 1960 - 2023
Kenya 0.878 41 1960 - 2023
Moldova 0.878 42 1990 - 2023
S.T.&Principe 0.87 43 1960 - 2023
Liberia 0.869 44 1960 - 2023
Suriname 0.86 45 1960 - 2023
Japan 0.859 46 1960 - 2023
Zambia 0.855 47 1960 - 2023
Nepal 0.851 48 1960 - 2023
Senegal 0.851 49 1960 - 2023
Romania 0.845 50 1960 - 2023
Sierra Leone 0.844 51 1960 - 2023
Niger 0.843 52 1960 - 2023
Nigeria 0.842 53 1960 - 2023
Montenegro 0.839 54 1998 - 2023
Namibia 0.837 55 1960 - 2023
Cyprus 0.832 56 1960 - 2023
Georgia 0.828 57 1990 - 2023
Slovenia 0.828 58 1989 - 2023
Botswana 0.825 59 1960 - 2023
Peru 0.825 60 1960 - 2023
Solomon Isl. 0.825 61 1960 - 2023
Papua N.G. 0.821 62 1960 - 2023
Bulgaria 0.816 63 1960 - 2023
Israel 0.813 64 1960 - 2023
Malta 0.813 65 1960 - 2023
Gambia 0.811 66 1960 - 2023
Greece 0.811 67 1960 - 2023
Panama 0.811 68 1960 - 2023
Guyana 0.808 69 1960 - 2023
Colombia 0.805 70 1960 - 2023
Ecuador 0.805 71 1960 - 2023
South Africa 0.804 72 1960 - 2023
Gabon 0.792 73 1960 - 2023
Malawi 0.787 74 1960 - 2023
Bolivia 0.786 75 1960 - 2023
Croatia 0.782 76 1991 - 2023
Tanzania 0.782 77 1960 - 2023
Paraguay 0.768 78 1960 - 2023
Maldives 0.76 79 1960 - 2023
South Korea 0.748 80 1960 - 2023
Lesotho 0.738 81 1960 - 2023
Mongolia 0.737 82 1960 - 2023
Armenia 0.733 83 1990 - 2023
Benin 0.726 84 1960 - 2023
North Macedonia 0.724 85 1991 - 2023
Albania 0.71 86 1960 - 2023
Sri Lanka 0.708 87 1960 - 2023
Ivory Coast 0.705 88 1960 - 2023
Fiji 0.704 89 1960 - 2023
Mauritania 0.695 90 1960 - 2023
Tunisia 0.693 91 1960 - 2023
Madagascar 0.682 92 1960 - 2023
Bhutan 0.675 93 1960 - 2023
Mali 0.664 94 1960 - 2023
Poland 0.664 95 1960 - 2023
Lebanon 0.658 96 1960 - 2023
Malaysia 0.631 97 1960 - 2023
Haiti 0.624 98 1960 - 2023
Mexico 0.62 99 1960 - 2023
Kuwait 0.614 100 1960 - 2023
Bosnia & Herz. 0.613 101 1992 - 2023
C.A. Republic 0.606 102 1960 - 2023
G.-Bissau 0.604 103 1960 - 2023
Indonesia 0.604 104 1960 - 2023
Angola 0.593 105 1960 - 2023
Morocco 0.587 106 1960 - 2023
Hungary 0.586 107 1960 - 2023
Cameroon 0.584 108 1961 - 2023
Guatemala 0.573 109 1960 - 2023
Burkina Faso 0.57 110 1960 - 2023
Mauritius 0.565 111 1960 - 2023
Somalia 0.559 112 1960 - 2023
Togo 0.559 113 1960 - 2023
Mozambique 0.555 114 1960 - 2023
Philippines 0.553 115 1960 - 2023
Comoros 0.548 116 1960 - 2023
Serbia 0.539 117 1960 - 2023
Jordan 0.51 118 1960 - 2023
Kyrgyzstan 0.51 119 1990 - 2023
DR Congo 0.509 120 1960 - 2023
Ukraine 0.503 121 1990 - 2023
Uganda 0.486 122 1960 - 2023
Singapore 0.479 123 1960 - 2023
Pakistan 0.467 124 1960 - 2023
Kazakhstan 0.445 125 1990 - 2023
Libya 0.429 126 1960 - 2023
Iraq 0.428 127 1960 - 2023
Guinea 0.424 128 1960 - 2023
Thailand 0.385 129 1960 - 2023
India 0.381 130 1960 - 2023
Djibouti 0.376 131 1960 - 2023
Algeria 0.356 132 1960 - 2023
El Salvador 0.339 133 1960 - 2023
Chad 0.318 134 1960 - 2023
Ethiopia 0.296 135 1960 - 2023
Zimbabwe 0.285 136 1960 - 2023
Sudan 0.26 137 1960 - 2023
Uzbekistan 0.258 138 1990 - 2023
Yemen 0.251 139 1960 - 2023
Hong Kong 0.246 140 1960 - 2023
Azerbaijan 0.237 141 1990 - 2023
Oman 0.231 142 1960 - 2023
Bangladesh 0.224 143 1971 - 2023
Rwanda 0.218 144 1960 - 2023
Cambodia 0.216 145 1960 - 2023
Venezuela 0.212 146 1960 - 2023
R. of Congo 0.205 147 1960 - 2023
Vietnam 0.198 148 1960 - 2023
Burundi 0.176 149 1960 - 2023
Iran 0.157 150 1960 - 2023
UA Emirates 0.151 151 1971 - 2023
Eq. Guinea 0.141 152 1960 - 2023
Turkey 0.136 153 1960 - 2023
Bahrain 0.125 154 1960 - 2023
Egypt 0.118 155 1960 - 2023
Swaziland 0.107 156 1960 - 2023
Saudi Arabia 0.1 157 1960 - 2023
Russia 0.098 158 1960 - 2023
Qatar 0.079 159 1960 - 2023
Cuba 0.075 160 1960 - 2023
Syria 0.075 161 1960 - 2023
Laos 0.07 162 1960 - 2023
Turkmenistan 0.058 163 1990 - 2023
Burma 0.054 164 1960 - 2023
Tajikistan 0.053 165 1990 - 2023
China 0.045 166 1960 - 2023
Eritrea 0.039 167 1960 - 2023
Afghanistan 0.035 168 1960 - 2023
Nicaragua 0.032 169 1960 - 2023
Belarus 0.03 170 1990 - 2023
North Korea 0.014 171 1960 - 2023


New - World map: Freedom of expression




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

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All articles

1. Denmark
2. Switzerland
3. Belgium
4. Ireland
5. Finland
6. Estonia
7. France
8. New Zealand
9. Luxembourg
10. Canada
11. Germany
12. Czechia
13. Sweden
14. Chile
15. Portugal
16. UK
17. USA
18. Austria
19. Latvia
20. Argentina
21. Norway
22. Tr.&Tobago
23. Slovakia
24. Australia
25. Domin. Rep.
26. Barbados
27. Jamaica
28. Vanuatu
29. Italy
30. Seychelles
31. Uruguay
32. Brazil
33. Spain
34. Iceland
35. Netherlands
36. Lithuania
37. Ghana
38. Honduras
39. Taiwan
40. Cape Verde
41. Kenya
42. Moldova
43. S.T.&Principe
44. Liberia
45. Suriname
46. Japan
47. Zambia
48. Nepal
49. Senegal
50. Romania
51. Sierra Leone
52. Niger
53. Nigeria
54. Montenegro
55. Namibia
56. Cyprus
57. Georgia
58. Slovenia
59. Botswana
60. Peru
61. Solomon Isl.
62. Papua N.G.
63. Bulgaria
64. Israel
65. Malta
66. Gambia
67. Greece
68. Panama
69. Guyana
70. Colombia
71. Ecuador
72. South Africa
73. Gabon
74. Malawi
75. Bolivia
76. Croatia
77. Tanzania
78. Paraguay
79. Maldives
80. South Korea
81. Lesotho
82. Mongolia
83. Armenia
84. Benin
85. North Macedonia
86. Albania
87. Sri Lanka
88. Ivory Coast
89. Fiji
90. Mauritania
91. Tunisia
92. Madagascar
93. Bhutan
94. Mali
95. Poland
96. Lebanon
97. Malaysia
98. Haiti
99. Mexico
100. Kuwait
101. Bosnia & Herz.
102. C.A. Republic
103. G.-Bissau
104. Indonesia
105. Angola
106. Morocco
107. Hungary
108. Cameroon
109. Guatemala
110. Burkina Faso
111. Mauritius
112. Somalia
113. Togo
114. Mozambique
115. Philippines
116. Comoros
117. Serbia
118. Jordan
119. Kyrgyzstan
120. DR Congo
121. Ukraine
122. Uganda
123. Singapore
124. Pakistan
125. Kazakhstan
126. Libya
127. Iraq
128. Guinea
129. Thailand
130. India
131. Djibouti
132. Algeria
133. El Salvador
134. Chad
135. Ethiopia
136. Zimbabwe
137. Sudan
138. Uzbekistan
139. Yemen
140. Hong Kong
141. Azerbaijan
142. Oman
143. Bangladesh
144. Rwanda
145. Cambodia
146. Venezuela
147. R. of Congo
148. Vietnam
149. Burundi
150. Iran
151. UA Emirates
152. Eq. Guinea
153. Turkey
154. Bahrain
155. Egypt
156. Swaziland
157. Saudi Arabia
158. Russia
159. Qatar
160. Cuba
161. Syria
162. Laos
163. Turkmenistan
164. Burma
165. Tajikistan
166. China
167. Eritrea
168. Afghanistan
169. Nicaragua
170. Belarus
171. North Korea
0.987
0.981
0.977
0.977
0.970
0.968
0.968
0.963
0.960
0.959
0.956
0.954
0.954
0.952
0.951
0.950
0.946
0.945
0.944
0.940
0.940
0.938
0.935
0.933
0.931
0.927
0.923
0.913
0.912
0.912
0.911
0.909
0.904
0.896
0.895
0.891
0.882
0.881
0.881
0.878
0.878
0.878
0.870
0.869
0.860
0.859
0.855
0.851
0.851
0.845
0.844
0.843
0.842
0.839
0.837
0.832
0.828
0.828
0.825
0.825
0.825
0.821
0.816
0.813
0.813
0.811
0.811
0.811
0.808
0.805
0.805
0.804
0.792
0.787
0.786
0.782
0.782
0.768
0.760
0.748
0.738
0.737
0.733
0.726
0.724
0.710
0.708
0.705
0.704
0.695
0.693
0.682
0.675
0.664
0.664
0.658
0.631
0.624
0.620
0.614
0.613
0.606
0.604
0.604
0.593
0.587
0.586
0.584
0.573
0.570
0.565
0.559
0.559
0.555
0.553
0.548
0.539
0.510
0.510
0.509
0.503
0.486
0.479
0.467
0.445
0.429
0.428
0.424
0.385
0.381
0.376
0.356
0.339
0.318
0.296
0.285
0.260
0.258
0.251
0.246
0.237
0.231
0.224
0.218
0.216
0.212
0.205
0.198
0.176
0.157
0.151
0.141
0.136
0.125
0.118
0.107
0.100
0.098
0.079
0.075
0.075
0.070
0.058
0.054
0.053
0.045
0.039
0.035
0.032
0.030
0.014
0
0.2
0.5
0.7
0.99


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