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Freedom of expression index

Tier A· Official

V-Dem's freedom of expression and alternative sources of information index: media freedom, freedom of discussion, and the range of independent information sources.

100 = most free expression (index 1.0), 0 = least

How this score is built

The Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) freedom of expression and alternative sources of information index — media freedom, censorship and self-censorship, freedom of academic and cultural expression, and the plurality of information sources — on a 0–1 scale (native_rescale 0–1 → 0–100). Direction is higher_better.

This substitutes the RSF World Press Freedom Index, which we could not use: RSF's data is CC BY-NC-ND (non-commercial, no-derivatives) and has no openly-fetchable current-methodology series. V-Dem measures an adjacent construct (broad expression freedom, not press specifically) and is openly licensed (CC BY). Expert-coded estimate; most recent available year per country.

Map

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0
100No data

100 = most free expression (index 1.0), 0 = least

Full ranking

175 countries with data. Rank 1 = best. Click a column to sort; click a country for its full provenance.

Rank ↑CountryScoreRaw value
1stDenmarkDNK
9898
0.98 index (0–1)
2ndIrelandIRL
9797
0.97 index (0–1)
3rdBelgiumBEL
96.997
0.969 index (0–1)
3rdEstoniaEST
96.997
0.969 index (0–1)
5thSwitzerlandCHE
96.797
0.967 index (0–1)
6thFranceFRA
95.996
0.959 index (0–1)
7thLuxembourgLUX
95.796
0.957 index (0–1)
8thNorwayNOR
95.395
0.953 index (0–1)
9thCzechiaCZE
94.795
0.947 index (0–1)
10thFinlandFIN
94.695
0.946 index (0–1)
10thSwedenSWE
94.695
0.946 index (0–1)
12thCanadaCAN
93.393
0.933 index (0–1)
12thSouth KoreaKOR
93.393
0.933 index (0–1)
14thLatviaLVA
93.293
0.932 index (0–1)
15thUruguayURY
93.193
0.931 index (0–1)
16thNew ZealandNZL
92.793
0.927 index (0–1)
17thChileCHL
92.693
0.926 index (0–1)
18thJamaicaJAM
91.992
0.919 index (0–1)
19thAustriaAUT
91.892
0.918 index (0–1)
20thLithuaniaLTU
91.792
0.917 index (0–1)
20thPolandPOL
91.792
0.917 index (0–1)
22ndAustraliaAUS
91.592
0.915 index (0–1)
22ndCosta RicaCRI
91.592
0.915 index (0–1)
24thGermanyDEU
91.491
0.914 index (0–1)
25thBarbadosBRB
91.191
0.911 index (0–1)
26thBrazilBRA
9191
0.91 index (0–1)
26thNetherlandsNLD
9191
0.91 index (0–1)
28thDominican RepublicDOM
90.190
0.901 index (0–1)
29thKenyaKEN
9090
0.9 index (0–1)
30thPortugalPRT
89.990
0.899 index (0–1)
31stGhanaGHA
89.690
0.896 index (0–1)
32ndSurinameSUR
89.189
0.891 index (0–1)
33rdTrinidad and TobagoTTO
88.889
0.888 index (0–1)
34thMauritiusMUS
88.789
0.887 index (0–1)
35thSeychellesSYC
87.487
0.874 index (0–1)
36thSri LankaLKA
87.187
0.871 index (0–1)
37thHondurasHND
86.186
0.861 index (0–1)
38thNamibiaNAM
85.986
0.859 index (0–1)
39thCape VerdeCPV
85.786
0.857 index (0–1)
40thMontenegroMNE
85.385
0.853 index (0–1)
41stNigeriaNGA
84.985
0.849 index (0–1)
42ndVanuatuVUT
84.885
0.848 index (0–1)
43rdJapanJPN
84.785
0.847 index (0–1)
44thIcelandISL
84.685
0.846 index (0–1)
45thSpainESP
84.384
0.843 index (0–1)
46thSolomon IslandsSLB
8484
0.84 index (0–1)
47thGuatemalaGTM
83.984
0.839 index (0–1)
47thPapua New GuineaPNG
83.984
0.839 index (0–1)
49thTaiwanTWN
83.884
0.838 index (0–1)
49thTimor-LesteTLS
83.884
0.838 index (0–1)
51stSouth AfricaZAF
83.784
0.837 index (0–1)
52ndLiberiaLBR
83.684
0.836 index (0–1)
53rdUnited KingdomGBR
83.383
0.833 index (0–1)
54thMaltaMLT
82.983
0.829 index (0–1)
55thSierra LeoneSLE
82.382
0.823 index (0–1)
56thIsraelISR
82.282
0.822 index (0–1)
57thSenegalSEN
8282
0.82 index (0–1)
58thGambiaGMB
81.481
0.814 index (0–1)
59thNepalNPL
81.381
0.813 index (0–1)
60thCyprusCYP
81.281
0.812 index (0–1)
60thPanamaPAN
81.281
0.812 index (0–1)
62ndColombiaCOL
8181
0.81 index (0–1)
62ndGreeceGRC
8181
0.81 index (0–1)
64thHaitiHTI
79.980
0.799 index (0–1)
65thBotswanaBWA
79.880
0.798 index (0–1)
66thSão Tomé and PríncipeSTP
79.379
0.793 index (0–1)
67thZambiaZMB
77.878
0.778 index (0–1)
68thRomaniaROU
77.778
0.777 index (0–1)
69thGuyanaGUY
77.177
0.771 index (0–1)
69thMongoliaMNG
77.177
0.771 index (0–1)
71stKosovoUNK
76.677
0.766 index (0–1)
72ndSlovakiaSVK
76.577
0.765 index (0–1)
73rdPeruPER
76.376
0.763 index (0–1)
74thItalyITA
75.676
0.756 index (0–1)
74thNigerNER
75.676
0.756 index (0–1)
76thBulgariaBGR
75.475
0.754 index (0–1)
76thMalawiMWI
75.475
0.754 index (0–1)
78thParaguayPRY
75.175
0.751 index (0–1)
79thGabonGAB
74.875
0.748 index (0–1)
80thLebanonLBN
74.474
0.744 index (0–1)
81stCroatiaHRV
74.374
0.743 index (0–1)
82ndArgentinaARG
73.674
0.736 index (0–1)
83rdArmeniaARM
73.273
0.732 index (0–1)
84thUnited StatesUSA
72.973
0.729 index (0–1)
85thLesothoLSO
72.873
0.728 index (0–1)
86thFijiFJI
72.472
0.724 index (0–1)
87thEcuadorECU
70.671
0.706 index (0–1)
88thMaldivesMDV
69.570
0.695 index (0–1)
89thSloveniaSVN
69.169
0.691 index (0–1)
90thIndonesiaIDN
68.869
0.688 index (0–1)
91stGeorgiaGEO
68.769
0.687 index (0–1)
91stTunisiaTUN
68.769
0.687 index (0–1)
93rdBhutanBTN
68.268
0.682 index (0–1)
94thIvory CoastCIV
68.168
0.681 index (0–1)
95thBoliviaBOL
6868
0.68 index (0–1)
96thBeninBEN
67.668
0.676 index (0–1)
96thPhilippinesPHL
67.668
0.676 index (0–1)
98thAlbaniaALB
67.367
0.673 index (0–1)
99thNorth MacedoniaMKD
66.466
0.664 index (0–1)
100thBosnia and HerzegovinaBIH
65.365
0.653 index (0–1)
101stMoldovaMDA
65.265
0.652 index (0–1)
102ndMadagascarMDG
63.564
0.635 index (0–1)
103rdMauritaniaMRT
62.863
0.628 index (0–1)
104thMexicoMEX
61.962
0.619 index (0–1)
104thSomaliaSOM
61.962
0.619 index (0–1)
106thCentral African RepublicCAF
61.361
0.613 index (0–1)
107thDR CongoCOD
59.960
0.599 index (0–1)
108thThailandTHA
58.759
0.587 index (0–1)
109thMalaysiaMYS
58.659
0.586 index (0–1)
110thMoroccoMAR
57.958
0.579 index (0–1)
110thTogoTGO
57.958
0.579 index (0–1)
112thIraqIRQ
57.157
0.571 index (0–1)
113thGuineaGIN
5656
0.56 index (0–1)
114thPakistanPAK
55.956
0.559 index (0–1)
115thJordanJOR
55.656
0.556 index (0–1)
116thGuinea-BissauGNB
55.255
0.552 index (0–1)
116thTanzaniaTZA
55.255
0.552 index (0–1)
118thLibyaLBY
53.654
0.536 index (0–1)
119thCameroonCMR
53.253
0.532 index (0–1)
119thKuwaitKWT
53.253
0.532 index (0–1)
121stBangladeshBGD
52.753
0.527 index (0–1)
122ndMozambiqueMOZ
51.852
0.518 index (0–1)
123rdComorosCOM
49.850
0.498 index (0–1)
124thAngolaAGO
49.750
0.497 index (0–1)
125thHungaryHUN
49.349
0.493 index (0–1)
126thMaliMLI
4949
0.49 index (0–1)
127thKyrgyzstanKGZ
46.947
0.469 index (0–1)
128thIndiaIND
45.846
0.458 index (0–1)
129thUgandaUGA
43.243
0.432 index (0–1)
130thChadTCD
42.743
0.427 index (0–1)
131stSerbiaSRB
42.442
0.424 index (0–1)
132ndUkraineUKR
41.842
0.418 index (0–1)
133rdZimbabweZWE
41.441
0.414 index (0–1)
134thSingaporeSGP
4040
0.4 index (0–1)
135thCongoCOG
37.337
0.373 index (0–1)
136thAlgeriaDZA
36.737
0.367 index (0–1)
137thSyriaSYR
35.836
0.358 index (0–1)
138thEl SalvadorSLV
35.636
0.356 index (0–1)
139thDjiboutiDJI
33.634
0.336 index (0–1)
140thKazakhstanKAZ
32.933
0.329 index (0–1)
141stSudanSDN
28.929
0.289 index (0–1)
142ndEthiopiaETH
28.529
0.285 index (0–1)
143rdBurkina FasoBFA
26.126
0.261 index (0–1)
144thUzbekistanUZB
23.423
0.234 index (0–1)
145thHong KongHKG
22.723
0.227 index (0–1)
146thYemenYEM
21.922
0.219 index (0–1)
147thEgyptEGY
17.918
0.179 index (0–1)
147thTürkiyeTUR
17.918
0.179 index (0–1)
149thBahrainBHR
17.217
0.172 index (0–1)
150thRwandaRWA
1717
0.17 index (0–1)
151stIranIRN
16.617
0.166 index (0–1)
152ndBurundiBDI
16.416
0.164 index (0–1)
153rdSouth SudanSSD
15.516
0.155 index (0–1)
154thCambodiaKHM
15.315
0.153 index (0–1)
155thOmanOMN
15.115
0.151 index (0–1)
156thVenezuelaVEN
14.815
0.148 index (0–1)
157thEswatiniSWZ
11.311
0.113 index (0–1)
158thEquatorial GuineaGNQ
11.211
0.112 index (0–1)
159thVietnamVNM
10.210
0.102 index (0–1)
160thAzerbaijanAZE
9.29
0.092 index (0–1)
160thSaudi ArabiaSAU
9.29
0.092 index (0–1)
162ndRussiaRUS
88
0.08 index (0–1)
163rdCubaCUB
7.47
0.074 index (0–1)
164thUnited Arab EmiratesARE
6.36
0.063 index (0–1)
165thQatarQAT
5.56
0.055 index (0–1)
166thChinaCHN
4.55
0.045 index (0–1)
167thTajikistanTJK
4.34
0.043 index (0–1)
168thTurkmenistanTKM
3.84
0.038 index (0–1)
169thLaosLAO
3.23
0.032 index (0–1)
170thMyanmarMMR
2.63
0.026 index (0–1)
171stBelarusBLR
2.53
0.025 index (0–1)
172ndEritreaERI
2.42
0.024 index (0–1)
173rdAfghanistanAFG
2.22
0.022 index (0–1)
174thNicaraguaNIC
1.82
0.018 index (0–1)
175thNorth KoreaPRK
1.31
0.013 index (0–1)
Freedom of expression index — country ranking · WorldScore