What is freedom of expression index in Cameroon?

Freedom of expression index in Cameroon was 0.532 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

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

The highest recorded value was 0.702 in 2012.

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

The lowest recorded value was 0.052 in 1961.

How does Cameroon rank for freedom of expression index?

Cameroon ranks 118th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Cameroon?

Over the last ten years it is down 21.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Cameroon 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 Cameroon

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

Cameroon: Freedom of Expression Index was 0.532 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)

0.532

Change on year

down 10.3%

World rank

118th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.702

in 2012

All-time low

0.052

in 1961

Years of data

1961–2025

Freedom of Expression Index in Cameroon, 1961–2025

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

Analysis

Cameroon recorded 0.532 for freedom of expression index in 2025.

That represents a change of down 10.3% on the previous year and down 21.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, freedom of expression index in Cameroon peaked at 0.702 in 2012 and was at its lowest, 0.052, in 1961.

That places Cameroon 118th out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1960s	0.052	0.052	0.052	9
1970s	0.052	0.052	0.052	10
1980s	0.1653	0.085	0.193	10
1990s	0.5734	0.413	0.614	10
2000s	0.6791	0.673	0.691	10
2010s	0.642	0.569	0.702	10
2020s	0.58	0.532	0.597	6

Countries ranked near Cameroon

115 Guinea-Bissau 0.552 compare
115 Tanzania 0.552 compare
117 Libya 0.536 compare
118 Kuwait 0.532 compare
120 Bangladesh 0.527 compare
121 Mozambique 0.518 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Cameroon

Political Rights Rating 6 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 408,613 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 140,366 (2025)
Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
Varieties of democracy 0.26 (2025)
Liberal Democracy Index 0.114 (2025)
Human Rights Index 0.509 (2025)
Participatory Democracy Index 0.093 (2025)
Key features of human rights 0.509 (2025)
Key features of electoral democracy 0.26 (2025)

All data for Cameroon →

Frequently asked questions

What is freedom of expression index in Cameroon?: Freedom of expression index in Cameroon was 0.532 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest freedom of expression index recorded in Cameroon?: The highest recorded value was 0.702 in 2012.
What is the lowest freedom of expression index recorded in Cameroon?: The lowest recorded value was 0.052 in 1961.
How does Cameroon rank for freedom of expression index?: Cameroon ranks 118th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Cameroon?: Over the last ten years it is down 21.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Cameroon 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.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

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: 07 August 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.