Which has higher freedom of expression index, Estonia or France?

Estonia, at 0.969 against 0.959 in France as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for Estonia and France?

237 years are reported by both, from 1789 to 2025.

Where does this data come from?

V-Dem (2026) – processed by 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.

Estonia vs France: Freedom of Expression Index

Estonia

0.969

in 2025

France

0.959

in 2025

Estonia rank

3rd

France rank

6th

Freedom of Expression Index over time

Estonia
France

How they compare

Estonia currently reports 0.969 against 0.959 in France, a difference of 0.01.

The two have swapped places 9 times across 237 shared years of data; in 1789 it was France ahead.

Estonia ranks 3rd and France ranks 6th of 176 countries.

Across the 25 decades both report, Estonia averaged higher in 2 and France in 23.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Estonia	France	Difference	Ahead
1780s	0.164	0.771	0.607	France
1790s	0.087	0.6828	0.5958	France
1800s	0.087	0.169	0.082	France
1810s	0.087	0.3295	0.2425	France
1820s	0.0818	0.382	0.3002	France
1830s	0.074	0.526	0.452	France
1840s	0.071	0.5978	0.5268	France
1850s	0.111	0.2847	0.1737	France
1860s	0.181	0.3432	0.1622	France
1870s	0.1751	0.7942	0.6191	France
1880s	0.1858	0.899	0.7132	France
1890s	0.19	0.8871	0.6971	France
1900s	0.2187	0.923	0.7043	France
1910s	0.3208	0.8221	0.5013	France
1920s	0.9019	0.894	0.0079	Estonia
1930s	0.5954	0.8749	0.2795	France
1940s	0.0127	0.5353	0.5226	France
1950s	0.0212	0.8679	0.8467	France
1960s	0.0276	0.8502	0.8226	France
1970s	0.0252	0.9291	0.9039	France
1980s	0.1196	0.9512	0.8316	France
1990s	0.9505	0.9607	0.0102	France
2000s	0.9559	0.9625	0.0066	France
2010s	0.9678	0.9692	0.0014	France
2020s	0.9702	0.9622	0.008	Estonia

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher freedom of expression index, Estonia or France?: Estonia, at 0.969 against 0.959 in France as of 2025.
What is the difference in freedom of expression index between Estonia and France?: 0.01, with Estonia ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Estonia and France?: 237 years are reported by both, from 1789 to 2025.
How do Estonia and France rank globally for freedom of expression index?: Estonia ranks 3rd and France ranks 6th of 176 countries.
Where does this data come from?: V-Dem (2026) – processed by 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.

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Estonia vs France: Freedom of Expression Index. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 07 November 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/compare/freedom-of-expression-index/estonia/france/

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About this data

Indicator: Freedom of Expression Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 30,035 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 30 October 2026

Central estimate of the extent to which people can discuss political matters at home and in the public sphere, the press, and media are free and can present different political perspectives, and the freedom of academic and cultural expression.