Freedom of Expression Index in Ecuador
Ecuador: Freedom of Expression Index was 0.706 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Freedom of Expression Index in Ecuador, 1830–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, freedom of expression index in Ecuador stood at 0.706.
The figure is down 4.9% on the previous year and up 1.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, freedom of expression index in Ecuador peaked at 0.851 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.109, in 1869.
That places Ecuador 86th out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 196 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1830s | 0.2962 | 0.287 | 0.301 | 10 |
| 1840s | 0.3561 | 0.297 | 0.424 | 10 |
| 1850s | 0.3704 | 0.356 | 0.372 | 10 |
| 1860s | 0.1903 | 0.109 | 0.356 | 10 |
| 1870s | 0.1646 | 0.109 | 0.248 | 10 |
| 1880s | 0.2788 | 0.248 | 0.381 | 10 |
| 1890s | 0.5705 | 0.468 | 0.673 | 10 |
| 1900s | 0.677 | 0.664 | 0.69 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.6502 | 0.63 | 0.668 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.6338 | 0.615 | 0.647 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.5987 | 0.538 | 0.634 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.5825 | 0.529 | 0.662 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.6281 | 0.604 | 0.662 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.5483 | 0.491 | 0.586 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.5538 | 0.506 | 0.706 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.8045 | 0.758 | 0.84 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.8009 | 0.787 | 0.819 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.7852 | 0.774 | 0.808 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.7358 | 0.684 | 0.835 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.7778 | 0.706 | 0.851 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ecuador
More social development data for Ecuador
- Political Rights Rating 3 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 26,428 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 5,723 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Varieties of democracy 0.607 (2025)
- Liberal Democracy Index 0.386 (2025)
- Human Rights Index 0.692 (2025)
- Participatory Democracy Index 0.462 (2025)
- Key features of human rights 0.692 (2025)
- Key features of electoral democracy 0.607 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is freedom of expression index in Ecuador?
- Freedom of expression index in Ecuador was 0.706 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest freedom of expression index recorded in Ecuador?
- The highest recorded value was 0.851 in 2020.
- What is the lowest freedom of expression index recorded in Ecuador?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.109 in 1869.
- How does Ecuador rank for freedom of expression index?
- Ecuador ranks 86th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
- Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Ecuador?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ecuador 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 — 196 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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.