What is freedom of expression index in Austria?

Freedom of expression index in Austria was 0.918 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest freedom of expression index recorded in Austria?

The highest recorded value was 0.966 in 1990.

What is the lowest freedom of expression index recorded in Austria?

The lowest recorded value was 0.159 in 1815.

How does Austria rank for freedom of expression index?

Austria ranks 19th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Austria?

Over the last ten years it is down 5.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Austria data come from?

The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Freedom of Expression Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Freedom of Expression Index in Austria

Name: Freedom of Expression Index in Austria
Creator: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Austria: Freedom of Expression Index was 0.918 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)

0.918

Change on year

down 0.5%

World rank

19th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.966

in 1990

All-time low

0.159

in 1815

Years of data

231

1789–2025

Freedom of Expression Index in Austria, 1789–2025

Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

Austria recorded 0.918 for freedom of expression index in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.5% on the previous year and down 5.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, freedom of expression index in Austria peaked at 0.966 in 1990 and was at its lowest, 0.159, in 1815.

Austria ranks 19th of 176 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Freedom of Expression Index in Austria, year by year

Annual values for Freedom of Expression Index in Austria, 1789 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1789	0.266	—
1790	0.266	+0.0%
1791	0.266	+0.0%
1792	0.266	+0.0%
1793	0.266	+0.0%
1794	0.234	-12.0%
1795	0.234	+0.0%
1796	0.234	+0.0%
1797	0.234	+0.0%
1798	0.234	+0.0%
1799	0.234	+0.0%
1800	0.234	+0.0%
1801	0.234	+0.0%
1802	0.234	+0.0%
1803	0.234	+0.0%
1804	0.234	+0.0%
1805	0.234	+0.0%
1806	0.234	+0.0%
1807	0.234	+0.0%
1808	0.234	+0.0%
1809	0.234	+0.0%
1810	0.234	+0.0%
1811	0.234	+0.0%
1812	0.234	+0.0%
1813	0.19	-18.8%
1814	0.19	+0.0%
1815	0.159	-16.3%
1816	0.159	+0.0%
1817	0.159	+0.0%
1818	0.159	+0.0%
1819	0.159	+0.0%
1820	0.159	+0.0%
1821	0.159	+0.0%
1822	0.159	+0.0%
1823	0.159	+0.0%
1824	0.159	+0.0%
1825	0.159	+0.0%
1826	0.159	+0.0%
1827	0.159	+0.0%
1828	0.159	+0.0%
1829	0.159	+0.0%
1830	0.159	+0.0%
1831	0.159	+0.0%
1832	0.159	+0.0%
1833	0.159	+0.0%
1834	0.159	+0.0%
1835	0.159	+0.0%
1836	0.159	+0.0%
1837	0.159	+0.0%
1838	0.159	+0.0%
1839	0.159	+0.0%
1840	0.159	+0.0%
1841	0.159	+0.0%
1842	0.159	+0.0%
1843	0.159	+0.0%
1844	0.159	+0.0%
1845	0.159	+0.0%
1846	0.159	+0.0%
1847	0.159	+0.0%
1848	0.88	+453.5%
1849	0.713	-19.0%
1850	0.341	-52.2%
1851	0.161	-52.8%
1852	0.161	+0.0%
1853	0.161	+0.0%
1854	0.161	+0.0%
1855	0.161	+0.0%
1856	0.161	+0.0%
1857	0.161	+0.0%
1858	0.161	+0.0%
1859	0.161	+0.0%
1860	0.189	+17.4%
1861	0.277	+46.6%
1862	0.277	+0.0%
1863	0.277	+0.0%
1864	0.277	+0.0%
1865	0.277	+0.0%
1866	0.277	+0.0%
1867	0.509	+83.8%
1868	0.528	+3.7%
1869	0.528	+0.0%
1870	0.528	+0.0%
1871	0.528	+0.0%
1872	0.528	+0.0%
1873	0.528	+0.0%
1874	0.528	+0.0%
1875	0.528	+0.0%
1876	0.528	+0.0%
1877	0.528	+0.0%
1878	0.528	+0.0%
1879	0.528	+0.0%
1880	0.528	+0.0%
1881	0.528	+0.0%
1882	0.528	+0.0%
1883	0.528	+0.0%
1884	0.528	+0.0%
1885	0.528	+0.0%
1886	0.528	+0.0%
1887	0.528	+0.0%
1888	0.528	+0.0%
1889	0.738	+39.8%
1890	0.738	+0.0%
1891	0.738	+0.0%
1892	0.738	+0.0%
1893	0.738	+0.0%
1894	0.738	+0.0%
1895	0.738	+0.0%
1896	0.738	+0.0%
1897	0.738	+0.0%
1898	0.738	+0.0%
1899	0.738	+0.0%
1900	0.738	+0.0%
1901	0.738	+0.0%
1902	0.738	+0.0%
1903	0.738	+0.0%
1904	0.738	+0.0%
1905	0.738	+0.0%
1906	0.738	+0.0%
1907	0.738	+0.0%
1908	0.738	+0.0%
1909	0.738	+0.0%
1910	0.738	+0.0%
1911	0.738	+0.0%
1912	0.738	+0.0%
1913	0.738	+0.0%
1914	0.598	-19.0%
1915	0.598	+0.0%
1916	0.598	+0.0%
1917	0.598	+0.0%
1918	0.622	+4.0%
1919	0.842	+35.4%
1920	0.842	+0.0%
1921	0.838	-0.5%
1922	0.838	+0.0%
1923	0.838	+0.0%
1924	0.838	+0.0%
1925	0.841	+0.4%
1926	0.841	+0.0%
1927	0.841	+0.0%
1928	0.839	-0.2%
1929	0.839	+0.0%
1930	0.839	+0.0%
1931	0.839	+0.0%
1932	0.839	+0.0%
1933	0.417	-50.3%
1934	0.184	-55.9%
1935	0.172	-6.5%
1936	0.172	+0.0%
1937	0.172	+0.0%
1938	0.161	-6.4%
1945	0.849	+427.3%
1946	0.89	+4.8%
1947	0.89	+0.0%
1948	0.89	+0.0%
1949	0.89	+0.0%
1950	0.89	+0.0%
1951	0.89	+0.0%
1952	0.89	+0.0%
1953	0.89	+0.0%
1954	0.89	+0.0%
1955	0.89	+0.0%
1956	0.935	+5.1%
1957	0.935	+0.0%
1958	0.935	+0.0%
1959	0.935	+0.0%
1960	0.935	+0.0%
1961	0.935	+0.0%
1962	0.935	+0.0%
1963	0.935	+0.0%
1964	0.935	+0.0%
1965	0.935	+0.0%
1966	0.935	+0.0%
1967	0.947	+1.3%
1968	0.947	+0.0%
1969	0.947	+0.0%
1970	0.947	+0.0%
1971	0.947	+0.0%
1972	0.947	+0.0%
1973	0.956	+1.0%
1974	0.956	+0.0%
1975	0.956	+0.0%
1976	0.96	+0.4%
1977	0.96	+0.0%
1978	0.96	+0.0%
1979	0.96	+0.0%
1980	0.96	+0.0%
1981	0.96	+0.0%
1982	0.96	+0.0%
1983	0.96	+0.0%
1984	0.96	+0.0%
1985	0.963	+0.3%
1986	0.963	+0.0%
1987	0.963	+0.0%
1988	0.963	+0.0%
1989	0.963	+0.0%
1990	0.966	+0.3%
1991	0.966	+0.0%
1992	0.966	+0.0%
1993	0.966	+0.0%
1994	0.966	+0.0%
1995	0.966	+0.0%
1996	0.966	+0.0%
1997	0.966	+0.0%
1998	0.966	+0.0%
1999	0.966	+0.0%
2000	0.966	+0.0%
2001	0.966	+0.0%
2002	0.966	+0.0%
2003	0.966	+0.0%
2004	0.966	+0.0%
2005	0.966	+0.0%
2006	0.966	+0.0%
2007	0.966	+0.0%
2008	0.966	+0.0%
2009	0.966	+0.0%
2010	0.962	-0.4%
2011	0.966	+0.4%
2012	0.966	+0.0%
2013	0.966	+0.0%
2014	0.966	+0.0%
2015	0.966	+0.0%
2016	0.966	+0.0%
2017	0.961	-0.5%
2018	0.937	-2.5%
2019	0.943	+0.6%
2020	0.948	+0.5%
2021	0.946	-0.2%
2022	0.922	-2.5%
2023	0.93	+0.9%
2024	0.923	-0.8%
2025	0.918	-0.5%

Austria compared with similar countries

Austria's 0.918 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.874, 1.1× the median. (55 countries reporting)
Austria's 0.918 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.7935, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1780s	0.266	0.266	0.266	1
1790s	0.2468	0.234	0.266	10
1800s	0.234	0.234	0.234	10
1810s	0.1877	0.159	0.234	10
1820s	0.159	0.159	0.159	10
1830s	0.159	0.159	0.159	10
1840s	0.2865	0.159	0.88	10
1850s	0.179	0.161	0.341	10
1860s	0.3416	0.189	0.528	10
1870s	0.528	0.528	0.528	10
1880s	0.549	0.528	0.738	10
1890s	0.738	0.738	0.738	10
1900s	0.738	0.738	0.738	10
1910s	0.6808	0.598	0.842	10
1920s	0.8395	0.838	0.842	10
1930s	0.4217	0.161	0.839	9
1940s	0.8818	0.849	0.89	5
1950s	0.908	0.89	0.935	10
1960s	0.9386	0.935	0.947	10
1970s	0.9549	0.947	0.96	10
1980s	0.9615	0.96	0.963	10
1990s	0.966	0.966	0.966	10
2000s	0.966	0.966	0.966	10
2010s	0.9599	0.937	0.966	10
2020s	0.9312	0.918	0.948	6

Countries ranked near Austria

16 New Zealand 0.927 compare
17 Chile 0.926 compare
18 Jamaica 0.919 compare
20 Lithuania 0.917 compare
20 Poland 0.917 compare
22 Australia 0.915 compare
22 Costa Rica 0.915 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Austria

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 286,651 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 33 (2025)
Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 1 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 33 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0311 units per person (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)

All data for Austria →

Frequently asked questions

What is freedom of expression index in Austria?: Freedom of expression index in Austria was 0.918 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest freedom of expression index recorded in Austria?: The highest recorded value was 0.966 in 1990.
What is the lowest freedom of expression index recorded in Austria?: The lowest recorded value was 0.159 in 1815.
How does Austria rank for freedom of expression index?: Austria ranks 19th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Austria?: Over the last ten years it is down 5.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Austria data come from?: The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Freedom of Expression Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Freedom of Expression Index in Austria. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 07 November 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/freedom-of-expression-index/austria/

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About this data

Indicator: Freedom of Expression Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 30,035 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 30 October 2026

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.