Which has higher freedom of expression index, Laos or Myanmar?

Laos, at 0.032 against 0.026 in Myanmar as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for Laos and Myanmar?

230 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.

Laos vs Myanmar: Freedom of Expression Index

Laos

0.032

in 2025

Myanmar

0.026

in 2025

Laos rank

170th

Myanmar rank

171st

Freedom of Expression Index over time

Laos
Myanmar

How they compare

Laos currently reports 0.032 against 0.026 in Myanmar, a difference of 0.006.

That makes Laos's figure about 1.2 times Myanmar's.

The two have swapped places 4 times across 230 shared years of data; in 1789 it was Laos ahead.

Laos ranks 170th and Myanmar ranks 171st of 176 countries.

Across the 25 decades both report, Laos averaged higher in 8 and Myanmar in 17.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Laos	Myanmar	Difference	Ahead
1780s	0.138	0.085	0.053	Laos
1790s	0.138	0.069	0.069	Laos
1800s	0.138	0.069	0.069	Laos
1810s	0.138	0.069	0.069	Laos
1820s	0.138	0.069	0.069	Laos
1830s	0.138	0.0951	0.0429	Laos
1840s	0.138	0.156	0.018	Myanmar
1850s	0.138	0.156	0.018	Myanmar
1860s	0.138	0.1832	0.0452	Myanmar
1870s	0.1328	0.3181	0.1853	Myanmar
1880s	0.112	0.4394	0.3274	Myanmar
1890s	0.112	0.539	0.427	Myanmar
1900s	0.221	0.527	0.306	Myanmar
1910s	0.221	0.527	0.306	Myanmar
1920s	0.221	0.5734	0.3524	Myanmar
1930s	0.221	0.5998	0.3788	Myanmar
1940s	0.3295	0.5597	0.2302	Myanmar
1950s	0.4796	0.7688	0.2892	Myanmar
1960s	0.4238	0.1846	0.2392	Laos
1970s	0.2154	0.033	0.1824	Laos
1980s	0.0168	0.0368	0.02	Myanmar
1990s	0.017	0.06	0.043	Myanmar
2000s	0.0198	0.0618	0.042	Myanmar
2010s	0.0246	0.5152	0.4906	Myanmar
2020s	0.0342	0.1428	0.1087	Myanmar

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher freedom of expression index, Laos or Myanmar?: Laos, at 0.032 against 0.026 in Myanmar as of 2025.
What is the difference in freedom of expression index between Laos and Myanmar?: 0.006, with Laos ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Laos and Myanmar?: 230 years are reported by both, from 1789 to 2025.
How do Laos and Myanmar rank globally for freedom of expression index?: Laos ranks 170th and Myanmar ranks 171st 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.

Individual pages

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Laos vs Myanmar: 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/lao-pdr/myanmar/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://social-development.statizoid.com/compare/freedom-of-expression-index/lao-pdr/myanmar/">Laos vs Myanmar: Freedom of Expression Index</a> — Statizoid

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.