What is freedom of expression index in Bulgaria?

Freedom of expression index in Bulgaria was 0.754 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

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

The highest recorded value was 0.888 in 1992.

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

The lowest recorded value was 0.017 in 1956.

How does Bulgaria rank for freedom of expression index?

Bulgaria ranks 75th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Bulgaria?

Over the last ten years it is down 2.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Bulgaria 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 Bulgaria

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

Bulgaria: Freedom of Expression Index was 0.754 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)

0.754

Change on year

down 7.7%

World rank

75th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.888

in 1992

All-time low

0.017

in 1956

Years of data

237

1789–2025

Freedom of Expression Index in Bulgaria, 1789–2025

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

Analysis

In 2025, freedom of expression index in Bulgaria stood at 0.754.

That represents a change of down 7.7% on the previous year and down 2.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, freedom of expression index in Bulgaria peaked at 0.888 in 1992 and was at its lowest, 0.017, in 1956.

Bulgaria ranks 75th of 176 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

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

Freedom of Expression Index in Bulgaria, year by year

Annual values for Freedom of Expression Index in Bulgaria, 1789 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1789	0.08	—
1790	0.08	+0.0%
1791	0.08	+0.0%
1792	0.08	+0.0%
1793	0.08	+0.0%
1794	0.08	+0.0%
1795	0.08	+0.0%
1796	0.08	+0.0%
1797	0.08	+0.0%
1798	0.08	+0.0%
1799	0.08	+0.0%
1800	0.08	+0.0%
1801	0.08	+0.0%
1802	0.08	+0.0%
1803	0.08	+0.0%
1804	0.08	+0.0%
1805	0.08	+0.0%
1806	0.08	+0.0%
1807	0.08	+0.0%
1808	0.075	-6.3%
1809	0.069	-8.0%
1810	0.069	+0.0%
1811	0.069	+0.0%
1812	0.069	+0.0%
1813	0.069	+0.0%
1814	0.069	+0.0%
1815	0.069	+0.0%
1816	0.069	+0.0%
1817	0.069	+0.0%
1818	0.069	+0.0%
1819	0.069	+0.0%
1820	0.069	+0.0%
1821	0.069	+0.0%
1822	0.069	+0.0%
1823	0.069	+0.0%
1824	0.069	+0.0%
1825	0.069	+0.0%
1826	0.069	+0.0%
1827	0.069	+0.0%
1828	0.069	+0.0%
1829	0.069	+0.0%
1830	0.069	+0.0%
1831	0.069	+0.0%
1832	0.069	+0.0%
1833	0.069	+0.0%
1834	0.069	+0.0%
1835	0.069	+0.0%
1836	0.069	+0.0%
1837	0.069	+0.0%
1838	0.069	+0.0%
1839	0.075	+8.7%
1840	0.071	-5.3%
1841	0.071	+0.0%
1842	0.071	+0.0%
1843	0.071	+0.0%
1844	0.071	+0.0%
1845	0.071	+0.0%
1846	0.071	+0.0%
1847	0.071	+0.0%
1848	0.071	+0.0%
1849	0.071	+0.0%
1850	0.071	+0.0%
1851	0.071	+0.0%
1852	0.071	+0.0%
1853	0.071	+0.0%
1854	0.071	+0.0%
1855	0.071	+0.0%
1856	0.071	+0.0%
1857	0.071	+0.0%
1858	0.071	+0.0%
1859	0.071	+0.0%
1860	0.167	+135.2%
1861	0.2	+19.8%
1862	0.2	+0.0%
1863	0.2	+0.0%
1864	0.2	+0.0%
1865	0.2	+0.0%
1866	0.2	+0.0%
1867	0.217	+8.5%
1868	0.217	+0.0%
1869	0.217	+0.0%
1870	0.217	+0.0%
1871	0.217	+0.0%
1872	0.217	+0.0%
1873	0.217	+0.0%
1874	0.217	+0.0%
1875	0.217	+0.0%
1876	0.217	+0.0%
1877	0.071	-67.3%
1878	0.56	+688.7%
1879	0.685	+22.3%
1880	0.685	+0.0%
1881	0.248	-63.8%
1882	0.248	+0.0%
1883	0.248	+0.0%
1884	0.427	+72.2%
1885	0.427	+0.0%
1886	0.427	+0.0%
1887	0.21	-50.8%
1888	0.21	+0.0%
1889	0.21	+0.0%
1890	0.21	+0.0%
1891	0.21	+0.0%
1892	0.21	+0.0%
1893	0.21	+0.0%
1894	0.21	+0.0%
1895	0.608	+189.5%
1896	0.608	+0.0%
1897	0.608	+0.0%
1898	0.608	+0.0%
1899	0.608	+0.0%
1900	0.613	+0.8%
1901	0.613	+0.0%
1902	0.613	+0.0%
1903	0.613	+0.0%
1904	0.607	-1.0%
1905	0.607	+0.0%
1906	0.61	+0.5%
1907	0.61	+0.0%
1908	0.604	-1.0%
1909	0.611	+1.2%
1910	0.611	+0.0%
1911	0.611	+0.0%
1912	0.561	-8.2%
1913	0.533	-5.0%
1914	0.539	+1.1%
1915	0.522	-3.2%
1916	0.514	-1.5%
1917	0.514	+0.0%
1918	0.528	+2.7%
1919	0.54	+2.3%
1920	0.539	-0.2%
1921	0.541	+0.4%
1922	0.54	-0.2%
1923	0.445	-17.6%
1924	0.437	-1.8%
1925	0.419	-4.1%
1926	0.462	+10.3%
1927	0.462	+0.0%
1928	0.474	+2.6%
1929	0.474	+0.0%
1930	0.486	+2.5%
1931	0.557	+14.6%
1932	0.557	+0.0%
1933	0.557	+0.0%
1934	0.471	-15.4%
1935	0.325	-31.0%
1936	0.325	+0.0%
1937	0.325	+0.0%
1938	0.325	+0.0%
1939	0.325	+0.0%
1940	0.312	-4.0%
1941	0.275	-11.9%
1942	0.275	+0.0%
1943	0.275	+0.0%
1944	0.203	-26.2%
1945	0.09	-55.7%
1946	0.085	-5.6%
1947	0.07	-17.6%
1948	0.021	-70.0%
1949	0.021	+0.0%
1950	0.021	+0.0%
1951	0.021	+0.0%
1952	0.021	+0.0%
1953	0.021	+0.0%
1954	0.021	+0.0%
1955	0.021	+0.0%
1956	0.017	-19.0%
1957	0.019	+11.8%
1958	0.019	+0.0%
1959	0.019	+0.0%
1960	0.022	+15.8%
1961	0.022	+0.0%
1962	0.022	+0.0%
1963	0.022	+0.0%
1964	0.022	+0.0%
1965	0.024	+9.1%
1966	0.024	+0.0%
1967	0.021	-12.5%
1968	0.021	+0.0%
1969	0.021	+0.0%
1970	0.027	+28.6%
1971	0.03	+11.1%
1972	0.03	+0.0%
1973	0.03	+0.0%
1974	0.03	+0.0%
1975	0.03	+0.0%
1976	0.03	+0.0%
1977	0.03	+0.0%
1978	0.03	+0.0%
1979	0.03	+0.0%
1980	0.034	+13.3%
1981	0.034	+0.0%
1982	0.034	+0.0%
1983	0.034	+0.0%
1984	0.042	+23.5%
1985	0.045	+7.1%
1986	0.045	+0.0%
1987	0.045	+0.0%
1988	0.045	+0.0%
1989	0.053	+17.8%
1990	0.885	+1569.8%
1991	0.867	-2.0%
1992	0.888	+2.4%
1993	0.877	-1.2%
1994	0.875	-0.2%
1995	0.866	-1.0%
1996	0.876	+1.2%
1997	0.861	-1.7%
1998	0.849	-1.4%
1999	0.873	+2.8%
2000	0.875	+0.2%
2001	0.869	-0.7%
2002	0.873	+0.5%
2003	0.873	+0.0%
2004	0.869	-0.5%
2005	0.858	-1.3%
2006	0.865	+0.8%
2007	0.858	-0.8%
2008	0.871	+1.5%
2009	0.847	-2.8%
2010	0.838	-1.1%
2011	0.821	-2.0%
2012	0.814	-0.9%
2013	0.78	-4.2%
2014	0.787	+0.9%
2015	0.773	-1.8%
2016	0.774	+0.1%
2017	0.73	-5.7%
2018	0.723	-1.0%
2019	0.712	-1.5%
2020	0.695	-2.4%
2021	0.775	+11.5%
2022	0.805	+3.9%
2023	0.782	-2.9%
2024	0.817	+4.5%
2025	0.754	-7.7%

Bulgaria compared with similar countries

Bulgaria's 0.754 is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.874, 86% of the median. (55 countries reporting)
Bulgaria's 0.754 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.7935, 95% of the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1780s	0.08	0.08	0.08	1
1790s	0.08	0.08	0.08	10
1800s	0.0784	0.069	0.08	10
1810s	0.069	0.069	0.069	10
1820s	0.069	0.069	0.069	10
1830s	0.0696	0.069	0.075	10
1840s	0.071	0.071	0.071	10
1850s	0.071	0.071	0.071	10
1860s	0.2018	0.167	0.217	10
1870s	0.2835	0.071	0.685	10
1880s	0.334	0.21	0.685	10
1890s	0.409	0.21	0.608	10
1900s	0.6101	0.604	0.613	10
1910s	0.5473	0.514	0.611	10
1920s	0.4793	0.419	0.541	10
1930s	0.4253	0.325	0.557	10
1940s	0.1627	0.021	0.312	10
1950s	0.02	0.017	0.021	10
1960s	0.0221	0.021	0.024	10
1970s	0.0297	0.027	0.03	10
1980s	0.0411	0.034	0.053	10
1990s	0.8717	0.849	0.888	10
2000s	0.8658	0.847	0.875	10
2010s	0.7752	0.712	0.838	10
2020s	0.7713	0.695	0.817	6

Countries ranked near Bulgaria

72 Peru 0.763 compare
73 Italy 0.756 compare
73 Niger 0.756 compare
75 Malawi 0.754 compare
77 Paraguay 0.751 compare
78 Gabon 0.748 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Bulgaria

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 105,596 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 533 (2025)
Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 2 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0001 units per person (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 533 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0164 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 Bulgaria →

Frequently asked questions

What is freedom of expression index in Bulgaria?: Freedom of expression index in Bulgaria was 0.754 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest freedom of expression index recorded in Bulgaria?: The highest recorded value was 0.888 in 1992.
What is the lowest freedom of expression index recorded in Bulgaria?: The lowest recorded value was 0.017 in 1956.
How does Bulgaria rank for freedom of expression index?: Bulgaria ranks 75th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Bulgaria?: Over the last ten years it is down 2.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Bulgaria 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 Bulgaria. 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/bulgaria/

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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.