Freedom of Expression Index by country
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.
Countries reporting
173
Highest
0.98
Denmark
Lowest
0.013
North Korea
Median
0.687
Years covered
237
1789–2025
Data points
30,035
What the numbers show
Freedom of Expression Index is currently reported for 173 countries. The highest value is 0.98 in Denmark; the lowest is 0.013 in North Korea.
The median across all reporting countries is 0.687, and the mean is 0.6027.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 75.
Over the past decade 48 countries rose and 123 fell. The largest increase was in Syria (up 1,054.8%), and the largest decrease in Afghanistan (down 96.8%).
Freedom of Expression Index: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denmark | 0.98 | 2025 | down 0.7% | rising |
| 3 | Belgium | 0.969 | 2025 | down 0.8% | rising |
| 3 | Estonia | 0.969 | 2025 | up 0.6% | volatile |
| 5 | Switzerland | 0.967 | 2025 | down 1.1% | rising |
| 6 | France | 0.959 | 2025 | down 1.1% | rising |
| 8 | Norway | 0.953 | 2025 | down 2.7% | rising |
| 9 | Czechia | 0.947 | 2025 | up 3.4% | volatile |
| 10 | Finland | 0.946 | 2025 | down 1.6% | volatile |
| 10 | Sweden | 0.946 | 2025 | down 2.9% | rising |
| 12 | Canada | 0.933 | 2025 | up 0.3% | rising |
| 12 | South Korea | 0.933 | 2025 | up 22.8% | volatile |
| 14 | Latvia | 0.932 | 2025 | down 1.8% | volatile |
| 15 | Uruguay | 0.931 | 2025 | down 4.2% | flat |
| 16 | New Zealand | 0.927 | 2025 | down 1.6% | rising |
| 17 | Chile | 0.926 | 2025 | down 1.8% | volatile |
| 18 | Jamaica | 0.919 | 2025 | down 2.0% | rising |
| 19 | Austria | 0.918 | 2025 | down 5.0% | volatile |
| 20 | Lithuania | 0.917 | 2025 | down 3.6% | volatile |
| 20 | Poland | 0.917 | 2025 | down 3.6% | volatile |
| 22 | Australia | 0.915 | 2025 | down 3.9% | rising |
| 22 | Costa Rica | 0.915 | 2025 | down 4.2% | rising |
| 24 | Germany | 0.914 | 2025 | down 6.6% | volatile |
| 25 | Barbados | 0.911 | 2025 | up 2.8% | rising |
| 26 | Brazil | 0.91 | 2025 | down 1.2% | rising |
| 26 | Netherlands | 0.91 | 2025 | down 4.9% | rising |
| 28 | Dominican Republic | 0.901 | 2025 | up 14.2% | volatile |
| 29 | Kenya | 0.9 | 2025 | up 2.2% | volatile |
| 30 | Portugal | 0.899 | 2025 | down 7.5% | volatile |
| 31 | Ghana | 0.896 | 2025 | down 0.8% | rising |
| 32 | Suriname | 0.891 | 2025 | up 3.1% | rising |
| 33 | Trinidad and Tobago | 0.888 | 2025 | up 2.9% | rising |
| 34 | Mauritius | 0.887 | 2025 | up 2.9% | rising |
| 35 | Seychelles | 0.874 | 2025 | up 38.5% | rising |
| 36 | Sri Lanka | 0.871 | 2025 | up 25.9% | falling |
| 37 | Honduras | 0.861 | 2025 | up 31.2% | volatile |
| 38 | Namibia | 0.859 | 2025 | up 2.9% | volatile |
| 39 | Cape Verde | 0.857 | 2025 | down 4.5% | volatile |
| 40 | Montenegro | 0.853 | 2025 | up 9.4% | volatile |
| 41 | Nigeria | 0.849 | 2025 | down 4.6% | rising |
| 42 | Vanuatu | 0.848 | 2025 | down 7.8% | rising |
| 43 | Japan | 0.847 | 2025 | down 2.5% | volatile |
| 44 | Iceland | 0.846 | 2025 | down 8.9% | rising |
| 45 | Spain | 0.843 | 2025 | down 6.7% | volatile |
| 46 | Solomon Islands | 0.84 | 2025 | up 2.3% | volatile |
| 47 | Guatemala | 0.839 | 2025 | up 9.7% | volatile |
| 47 | Papua New Guinea | 0.839 | 2025 | up 4.9% | rising |
| 49 | East Timor | 0.838 | 2025 | down 2.1% | volatile |
| 49 | Taiwan | 0.838 | 2025 | down 7.9% | volatile |
| 51 | South Africa | 0.837 | 2025 | down 4.6% | rising |
| 52 | Liberia | 0.836 | 2025 | down 0.5% | volatile |
| 53 | United Kingdom | 0.833 | 2025 | down 12.0% | rising |
| 55 | Sierra Leone | 0.823 | 2025 | up 7.9% | rising |
| 56 | Israel | 0.822 | 2025 | down 2.0% | volatile |
| 57 | Senegal | 0.82 | 2025 | down 12.7% | rising |
| 58 | Gambia | 0.814 | 2025 | up 319.6% | rising |
| 59 | Nepal | 0.813 | 2025 | down 5.4% | volatile |
| 60 | Cyprus | 0.812 | 2025 | down 13.1% | rising |
| 60 | Panama | 0.812 | 2025 | down 4.6% | rising |
| 62 | Colombia | 0.81 | 2025 | down 2.4% | rising |
| 62 | Greece | 0.81 | 2025 | down 12.5% | volatile |
| 64 | Haiti | 0.799 | 2025 | down 4.8% | volatile |
| 65 | Botswana | 0.798 | 2025 | up 2.2% | volatile |
| 66 | Sao Tome and Principe | 0.793 | 2025 | down 3.6% | volatile |
| 67 | Zambia | 0.778 | 2025 | up 17.5% | volatile |
| 68 | Romania | 0.777 | 2025 | down 10.8% | volatile |
| 69 | Guyana | 0.771 | 2025 | down 7.1% | rising |
| 69 | Mongolia | 0.771 | 2025 | down 13.5% | volatile |
| 71 | Slovakia | 0.765 | 2025 | down 17.8% | volatile |
| 72 | Peru | 0.763 | 2025 | down 17.7% | rising |
| 73 | Italy | 0.756 | 2025 | down 20.4% | volatile |
| 73 | Niger | 0.756 | 2025 | down 14.1% | volatile |
| 75 | Bulgaria | 0.754 | 2025 | down 2.5% | volatile |
| 75 | Malawi | 0.754 | 2025 | down 8.4% | volatile |
| 77 | Paraguay | 0.751 | 2025 | up 2.5% | volatile |
| 78 | Gabon | 0.748 | 2025 | down 8.6% | volatile |
| 79 | Lebanon | 0.744 | 2025 | down 2.2% | rising |
| 80 | Croatia | 0.743 | 2025 | down 18.0% | volatile |
| 81 | Argentina | 0.736 | 2025 | down 15.8% | rising |
| 82 | Armenia | 0.732 | 2025 | up 21.6% | volatile |
| 83 | United States | 0.729 | 2025 | down 24.1% | rising |
| 84 | Lesotho | 0.728 | 2025 | up 4.0% | volatile |
| 85 | Fiji | 0.724 | 2025 | up 65.3% | falling |
| 86 | Ecuador | 0.706 | 2025 | up 1.9% | rising |
| 87 | Maldives | 0.695 | 2025 | up 29.9% | volatile |
| 88 | Slovenia | 0.691 | 2025 | down 27.3% | volatile |
| 89 | Indonesia | 0.688 | 2025 | down 19.6% | volatile |
| 90 | Georgia | 0.687 | 2025 | down 24.3% | volatile |
| 90 | Tunisia | 0.687 | 2025 | down 20.4% | volatile |
| 92 | Bhutan | 0.682 | 2025 | down 2.2% | volatile |
| 93 | Cote d'Ivoire | 0.681 | 2025 | down 1.6% | volatile |
| 94 | Bolivia | 0.68 | 2025 | down 7.9% | rising |
| 95 | Benin | 0.676 | 2025 | down 20.8% | volatile |
| 95 | Philippines | 0.676 | 2025 | down 23.2% | rising |
| 97 | Albania | 0.673 | 2025 | down 10.4% | volatile |
| 98 | North Macedonia | 0.664 | 2025 | up 23.9% | volatile |
| 99 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 0.653 | 2025 | down 11.3% | volatile |
| 100 | Moldova | 0.652 | 2025 | down 9.3% | volatile |
| 101 | Madagascar | 0.635 | 2025 | down 19.3% | volatile |
| 102 | Mauritania | 0.628 | 2025 | down 19.7% | volatile |
| 103 | Mexico | 0.619 | 2025 | down 22.8% | rising |
| 103 | Somalia | 0.619 | 2025 | up 15.3% | volatile |
| 105 | Central African Republic | 0.613 | 2025 | down 20.4% | volatile |
| 106 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 0.599 | 2025 | down 13.1% | volatile |
| 107 | Thailand | 0.587 | 2025 | up 86.9% | volatile |
| 108 | Malaysia | 0.586 | 2025 | up 86.0% | volatile |
| 109 | Morocco | 0.579 | 2025 | down 4.5% | volatile |
| 109 | Togo | 0.579 | 2025 | down 28.0% | volatile |
| 111 | Iraq | 0.571 | 2025 | down 7.0% | volatile |
| 112 | Guinea | 0.56 | 2025 | down 16.9% | volatile |
| 113 | Pakistan | 0.559 | 2025 | down 24.7% | volatile |
| 114 | Jordan | 0.556 | 2025 | up 0.7% | rising |
| 115 | Guinea-Bissau | 0.552 | 2025 | down 17.1% | volatile |
| 115 | Tanzania | 0.552 | 2025 | down 22.6% | rising |
| 117 | Libya | 0.536 | 2025 | down 24.0% | volatile |
| 118 | Cameroon | 0.532 | 2025 | down 21.5% | volatile |
| 118 | Kuwait | 0.532 | 2025 | down 15.2% | rising |
| 120 | Bangladesh | 0.527 | 2025 | up 24.9% | volatile |
| 121 | Mozambique | 0.518 | 2025 | down 30.7% | volatile |
| 122 | Comoros | 0.498 | 2025 | down 28.9% | volatile |
| 123 | Angola | 0.497 | 2025 | up 34.3% | volatile |
| 124 | Hungary | 0.493 | 2025 | down 30.3% | volatile |
| 125 | Mali | 0.49 | 2025 | down 43.6% | volatile |
| 126 | Kyrgyzstan | 0.469 | 2025 | down 36.8% | volatile |
| 127 | India | 0.458 | 2025 | down 30.4% | volatile |
| 128 | Uganda | 0.432 | 2025 | down 26.4% | rising |
| 129 | Chad | 0.427 | 2025 | down 27.3% | volatile |
| 130 | Serbia | 0.424 | 2025 | down 13.8% | volatile |
| 131 | Ukraine | 0.418 | 2025 | down 37.2% | volatile |
| 132 | Zimbabwe | 0.414 | 2025 | down 7.8% | rising |
| 133 | Palestine | 0.41 | 1948 | unchanged | flat |
| 134 | Singapore | 0.4 | 2025 | up 11.4% | falling |
| 135 | Congo | 0.373 | 2025 | down 2.6% | volatile |
| 136 | Algeria | 0.367 | 2025 | down 44.8% | volatile |
| 137 | Syria | 0.358 | 2025 | up 1,054.8% | volatile |
| 138 | El Salvador | 0.356 | 2025 | down 57.7% | volatile |
| 139 | Djibouti | 0.336 | 2025 | up 24.4% | rising |
| 140 | Kazakhstan | 0.329 | 2025 | down 2.9% | volatile |
| 141 | Sudan | 0.289 | 2025 | up 52.9% | volatile |
| 142 | Ethiopia | 0.285 | 2025 | down 2.1% | volatile |
| 143 | Burkina Faso | 0.261 | 2025 | down 70.2% | rising |
| 144 | Uzbekistan | 0.234 | 2025 | up 387.5% | volatile |
| 145 | Hong Kong | 0.227 | 2025 | down 70.6% | rising |
| 146 | Yemen | 0.219 | 2025 | up 27.3% | volatile |
| 147 | Egypt | 0.179 | 2025 | up 9.1% | volatile |
| 147 | Turkey | 0.179 | 2025 | down 49.1% | volatile |
| 149 | Bahrain | 0.172 | 2025 | down 9.5% | volatile |
| 150 | Rwanda | 0.17 | 2025 | down 30.0% | rising |
| 151 | Iran | 0.166 | 2025 | down 16.6% | volatile |
| 152 | Burundi | 0.164 | 2025 | down 23.4% | volatile |
| 153 | South Sudan | 0.155 | 2025 | down 1.3% | volatile |
| 154 | Cambodia | 0.153 | 2025 | down 57.5% | volatile |
| 155 | Oman | 0.151 | 2025 | up 20.8% | volatile |
| 156 | Venezuela | 0.148 | 2025 | down 58.2% | volatile |
| 157 | Vatican | 0.13 | 1870 | down 45.6% | falling |
| 158 | Eswatini | 0.113 | 2025 | down 43.2% | rising |
| 159 | Equatorial Guinea | 0.112 | 2025 | down 23.3% | volatile |
| 160 | Vietnam | 0.102 | 2025 | down 32.5% | rising |
| 161 | Azerbaijan | 0.092 | 2025 | down 45.6% | volatile |
| 161 | Saudi Arabia | 0.092 | 2025 | up 1.1% | rising |
| 163 | Russia | 0.08 | 2025 | down 74.3% | volatile |
| 164 | Cuba | 0.074 | 2025 | up 64.4% | volatile |
| 165 | United Arab Emirates | 0.063 | 2025 | down 47.9% | falling |
| 166 | Qatar | 0.055 | 2025 | down 48.1% | rising |
| 167 | China | 0.045 | 2025 | down 55.9% | volatile |
| 168 | Tajikistan | 0.043 | 2025 | down 76.4% | volatile |
| 169 | Turkmenistan | 0.038 | 2025 | up 58.3% | volatile |
| 170 | Laos | 0.032 | 2025 | up 33.3% | volatile |
| 171 | Myanmar | 0.026 | 2025 | down 95.3% | volatile |
| 172 | Belarus | 0.025 | 2025 | down 91.4% | volatile |
| 173 | Eritrea | 0.024 | 2025 | up 33.3% | volatile |
| 174 | Afghanistan | 0.022 | 2025 | down 96.8% | volatile |
| 175 | Nicaragua | 0.018 | 2025 | down 96.5% | volatile |
| 176 | North Korea | 0.013 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
About this data
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.