Botswana vs Kenya: Key media freedoms
Botswana
1.82
in 2025
Kenya
1.72
in 2025
Botswana rank
33rd
Kenya rank
36th
Key media freedoms over time
- Botswana
- Kenya
How they compare
Botswana currently reports 1.82 against 1.72 in Kenya, a difference of 0.1.
That makes Botswana's figure about 1.1 times Kenya's.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 126 shared years of data; in 1900 it was Botswana ahead.
Botswana ranks 33rd and Kenya ranks 36th of 175 countries.
Across the 13 decades both report, Botswana averaged higher in 12 and Kenya in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Botswana | Kenya | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | -0.766 | -2.37 | 1.6 | Botswana |
| 1910s | -0.766 | -2.37 | 1.6 | Botswana |
| 1920s | -0.766 | -2.37 | 1.6 | Botswana |
| 1930s | -0.766 | -2.37 | 1.6 | Botswana |
| 1940s | -1.02 | -1.98 | 0.9672 | Botswana |
| 1950s | -1.12 | -1.84 | 0.7177 | Botswana |
| 1960s | -0.5134 | -1.23 | 0.7125 | Botswana |
| 1970s | 0.404 | -0.965 | 1.37 | Botswana |
| 1980s | 0.4772 | -1.58 | 2.05 | Botswana |
| 1990s | 0.526 | -0.1374 | 0.6634 | Botswana |
| 2000s | 0.8414 | 0.6958 | 0.1456 | Botswana |
| 2010s | 1.11 | 1.25 | 0.1347 | Kenya |
| 2020s | 1.75 | 1.27 | 0.4818 | Botswana |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher key media freedoms, Botswana or Kenya?
- Botswana, at 1.82 against 1.72 in Kenya as of 2025.
- What is the difference in key media freedoms between Botswana and Kenya?
- 0.1, with Botswana ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Botswana and Kenya?
- 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
- How do Botswana and Kenya rank globally for key media freedoms?
- Botswana ranks 33rd and Kenya ranks 36th 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.