Russia vs Saudi Arabia: Freedom of expression index
Russia
0.08
in 2025
Saudi Arabia
0.092
in 2025
Russia rank
163rd
Saudi Arabia rank
161st
Freedom of expression index over time
- Russia
- Saudi Arabia
How they compare
Saudi Arabia currently reports 0.092 against 0.08 in Russia, a difference of 0.012.
That makes Saudi Arabia's figure about 1.1 times Russia's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 237 shared years of data; in 1789 it was Russia ahead.
Russia ranks 163rd and Saudi Arabia ranks 161st of 176 countries.
Across the 25 decades both report, Russia averaged higher in 19 and Saudi Arabia in 6.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Russia | Saudi Arabia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1780s | 0.164 | 0.078 | 0.086 | Russia |
| 1790s | 0.087 | 0.078 | 0.009 | Russia |
| 1800s | 0.087 | 0.078 | 0.009 | Russia |
| 1810s | 0.087 | 0.0771 | 0.0099 | Russia |
| 1820s | 0.0818 | 0.0538 | 0.028 | Russia |
| 1830s | 0.074 | 0.05 | 0.024 | Russia |
| 1840s | 0.071 | 0.05 | 0.021 | Russia |
| 1850s | 0.111 | 0.05 | 0.061 | Russia |
| 1860s | 0.181 | 0.05 | 0.131 | Russia |
| 1870s | 0.1751 | 0.05 | 0.1251 | Russia |
| 1880s | 0.1858 | 0.05 | 0.1358 | Russia |
| 1890s | 0.19 | 0.05 | 0.14 | Russia |
| 1900s | 0.2187 | 0.0409 | 0.1778 | Russia |
| 1910s | 0.1825 | 0.037 | 0.1455 | Russia |
| 1920s | 0.0243 | 0.037 | 0.0127 | Saudi Arabia |
| 1930s | 0.0132 | 0.0371 | 0.0239 | Saudi Arabia |
| 1940s | 0.0127 | 0.037 | 0.0243 | Saudi Arabia |
| 1950s | 0.0212 | 0.0565 | 0.0353 | Saudi Arabia |
| 1960s | 0.0276 | 0.069 | 0.0414 | Saudi Arabia |
| 1970s | 0.0252 | 0.0697 | 0.0445 | Saudi Arabia |
| 1980s | 0.1196 | 0.076 | 0.0436 | Russia |
| 1990s | 0.7611 | 0.0892 | 0.6719 | Russia |
| 2000s | 0.4834 | 0.1138 | 0.3696 | Russia |
| 2010s | 0.346 | 0.1023 | 0.2437 | Russia |
| 2020s | 0.162 | 0.0872 | 0.0748 | Russia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher freedom of expression index, Russia or Saudi Arabia?
- Saudi Arabia, at 0.092 against 0.08 in Russia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in freedom of expression index between Russia and Saudi Arabia?
- 0.012, with Saudi Arabia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Russia and Saudi Arabia?
- 237 years are reported by both, from 1789 to 2025.
- How do Russia and Saudi Arabia rank globally for freedom of expression index?
- Russia ranks 163rd and Saudi Arabia ranks 161st 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.