Iran vs Saudi Arabia: Media Corruption Score

Iran
-1.46
in 2025
Saudi Arabia
-1.58
in 2025
Iran rank
158th
Saudi Arabia rank
161st

Media Corruption Score over time

  • Iran
  • Saudi Arabia
-3-2-101190019622025

How they compare

Iran currently reports -1.46 against -1.58 in Saudi Arabia, a difference of 0.12.

The two have swapped places 5 times across 94 shared years of data; in 1932 it was Saudi Arabia ahead.

Iran ranks 158th and Saudi Arabia ranks 161st of 175 countries.

Across the 10 decades both report, Iran averaged higher in 8 and Saudi Arabia in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade Iran Saudi Arabia Difference Ahead
1930s -2.54 -2.18 0.364 Saudi Arabia
1940s -0.7463 -2.18 1.43 Iran
1950s -1.21 -2.18 0.965 Iran
1960s -1.36 -2.18 0.813 Iran
1970s -1.3 -2.3 0.999 Iran
1980s -1.84 -1.8 0.0483 Saudi Arabia
1990s 0.5294 -1.8 2.33 Iran
2000s -0.222 -1.65 1.42 Iran
2010s -1.23 -1.59 0.3606 Iran
2020s -1.58 -1.59 0.0103 Iran

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher media corruption score, Iran or Saudi Arabia?
Iran, at -1.46 against -1.58 in Saudi Arabia as of 2025.
What is the difference in media corruption score between Iran and Saudi Arabia?
0.12, with Iran ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Iran and Saudi Arabia?
94 years are reported by both, from 1932 to 2025.
How do Iran and Saudi Arabia rank globally for media corruption score?
Iran ranks 158th and Saudi Arabia ranks 161st of 175 countries.
Where does this data come from?
V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Media Corruption Score. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator
Media Corruption Score
Source
V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
175 places, 18,887 data points, 1900–2025
Last refreshed

Gauges the frequency with which journalists, publishers, or broadcasters accept payments to modify news content, indicating the integrity (or corruption) of the media sphere.