Bahrain vs Iran: Key media freedoms
Bahrain
-1.72
in 2025
Iran
-1.49
in 2025
Bahrain rank
151st
Iran rank
149th
Key media freedoms over time
- Bahrain
- Iran
How they compare
Iran currently reports -1.49 against -1.72 in Bahrain, a difference of 0.23.
The two have swapped places 11 times across 126 shared years of data; in 1900 it was Bahrain ahead.
Bahrain ranks 151st and Iran ranks 149th of 175 countries.
Across the 13 decades both report, Bahrain averaged higher in 6 and Iran in 7.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Bahrain | Iran | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | -1.67 | -1.27 | 0.4018 | Iran |
| 1910s | -1.67 | -0.135 | 1.53 | Iran |
| 1920s | -1.67 | -1.15 | 0.5237 | Iran |
| 1930s | -1.67 | -2.1 | 0.4272 | Bahrain |
| 1940s | -1.75 | -0.8072 | 0.9408 | Iran |
| 1950s | -1.75 | -1.31 | 0.4413 | Iran |
| 1960s | -1.75 | -2 | 0.2555 | Bahrain |
| 1970s | -1.4 | -1.85 | 0.4537 | Bahrain |
| 1980s | -1.75 | -2.17 | 0.4226 | Bahrain |
| 1990s | -2.09 | -1.44 | 0.6536 | Iran |
| 2000s | -0.1854 | -1.39 | 1.2 | Bahrain |
| 2010s | -1.66 | -1.75 | 0.0921 | Bahrain |
| 2020s | -1.72 | -1.44 | 0.2793 | Iran |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher key media freedoms, Bahrain or Iran?
- Iran, at -1.49 against -1.72 in Bahrain as of 2025.
- What is the difference in key media freedoms between Bahrain and Iran?
- 0.23, with Iran ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Bahrain and Iran?
- 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
- How do Bahrain and Iran rank globally for key media freedoms?
- Bahrain ranks 151st and Iran ranks 149th of 175 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Key media freedoms. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Central estimate of the extent to which the government directly or indirectly attempts to censor political content in print and broadcast media, through formal restrictions or indirect pressures such as financial control, licensing, or access to distribution channels.