Botswana vs Zambia: Freedom of expression index
Botswana
0.798
in 2025
Zambia
0.778
in 2025
Botswana rank
65th
Zambia rank
67th
Freedom of expression index over time
- Botswana
- Zambia
How they compare
Botswana currently reports 0.798 against 0.778 in Zambia, a difference of 0.02.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 115 shared years of data; in 1911 it was Zambia ahead.
Botswana ranks 65th and Zambia ranks 67th of 176 countries.
Across the 12 decades both report, Botswana averaged higher in 7 and Zambia in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Botswana | Zambia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 0.1489 | 0.237 | 0.0881 | Zambia |
| 1920s | 0.152 | 0.2346 | 0.0826 | Zambia |
| 1930s | 0.1485 | 0.233 | 0.0845 | Zambia |
| 1940s | 0.1451 | 0.2512 | 0.1061 | Zambia |
| 1950s | 0.153 | 0.2927 | 0.1397 | Zambia |
| 1960s | 0.4141 | 0.3581 | 0.056 | Botswana |
| 1970s | 0.749 | 0.2376 | 0.5114 | Botswana |
| 1980s | 0.7839 | 0.161 | 0.6229 | Botswana |
| 1990s | 0.811 | 0.6416 | 0.1694 | Botswana |
| 2000s | 0.817 | 0.7477 | 0.0693 | Botswana |
| 2010s | 0.7992 | 0.6683 | 0.1309 | Botswana |
| 2020s | 0.7987 | 0.7605 | 0.0382 | Botswana |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher freedom of expression index, Botswana or Zambia?
- Botswana, at 0.798 against 0.778 in Zambia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in freedom of expression index between Botswana and Zambia?
- 0.02, with Botswana ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Botswana and Zambia?
- 115 years are reported by both, from 1911 to 2025.
- How do Botswana and Zambia rank globally for freedom of expression index?
- Botswana ranks 65th and Zambia ranks 67th of 176 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Freedom of expression index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.