What is freedom of expression index in Finland?

Freedom of expression index in Finland was 0.946 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

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

The highest recorded value was 0.977 in 1991.

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

The lowest recorded value was 0.26 in 1809.

How does Finland rank for freedom of expression index?

Finland ranks 10th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Finland?

Over the last ten years it is down 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Finland 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 Finland

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

Finland: Freedom of Expression Index was 0.946 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)

0.946

Change on year

down 0.4%

World rank

10th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.977

in 1991

All-time low

0.26

in 1809

Years of data

237

1789–2025

Freedom of Expression Index in Finland, 1789–2025

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

Analysis

In 2025, freedom of expression index in Finland stood at 0.946.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.4% on the previous year and down 1.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, freedom of expression index in Finland peaked at 0.977 in 1991 and was at its lowest, 0.26, in 1809.

That places Finland 10th out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.

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

Freedom of Expression Index in Finland, year by year

Annual values for Freedom of Expression Index in Finland, 1789 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1789	0.438	—
1790	0.438	+0.0%
1791	0.438	+0.0%
1792	0.607	+38.6%
1793	0.434	-28.5%
1794	0.434	+0.0%
1795	0.434	+0.0%
1796	0.434	+0.0%
1797	0.434	+0.0%
1798	0.434	+0.0%
1799	0.434	+0.0%
1800	0.434	+0.0%
1801	0.434	+0.0%
1802	0.434	+0.0%
1803	0.434	+0.0%
1804	0.434	+0.0%
1805	0.434	+0.0%
1806	0.434	+0.0%
1807	0.434	+0.0%
1808	0.434	+0.0%
1809	0.26	-40.1%
1810	0.26	+0.0%
1811	0.26	+0.0%
1812	0.26	+0.0%
1813	0.26	+0.0%
1814	0.26	+0.0%
1815	0.26	+0.0%
1816	0.26	+0.0%
1817	0.26	+0.0%
1818	0.26	+0.0%
1819	0.26	+0.0%
1820	0.26	+0.0%
1821	0.26	+0.0%
1822	0.26	+0.0%
1823	0.26	+0.0%
1824	0.26	+0.0%
1825	0.26	+0.0%
1826	0.26	+0.0%
1827	0.26	+0.0%
1828	0.26	+0.0%
1829	0.26	+0.0%
1830	0.26	+0.0%
1831	0.26	+0.0%
1832	0.26	+0.0%
1833	0.26	+0.0%
1834	0.26	+0.0%
1835	0.26	+0.0%
1836	0.26	+0.0%
1837	0.26	+0.0%
1838	0.26	+0.0%
1839	0.26	+0.0%
1840	0.26	+0.0%
1841	0.26	+0.0%
1842	0.26	+0.0%
1843	0.26	+0.0%
1844	0.26	+0.0%
1845	0.26	+0.0%
1846	0.26	+0.0%
1847	0.26	+0.0%
1848	0.26	+0.0%
1849	0.26	+0.0%
1850	0.26	+0.0%
1851	0.26	+0.0%
1852	0.26	+0.0%
1853	0.26	+0.0%
1854	0.26	+0.0%
1855	0.26	+0.0%
1856	0.26	+0.0%
1857	0.26	+0.0%
1858	0.26	+0.0%
1859	0.26	+0.0%
1860	0.277	+6.5%
1861	0.277	+0.0%
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	0.277	+0.0%
1868	0.277	+0.0%
1869	0.277	+0.0%
1870	0.277	+0.0%
1871	0.277	+0.0%
1872	0.277	+0.0%
1873	0.277	+0.0%
1874	0.277	+0.0%
1875	0.277	+0.0%
1876	0.277	+0.0%
1877	0.277	+0.0%
1878	0.277	+0.0%
1879	0.277	+0.0%
1880	0.277	+0.0%
1881	0.277	+0.0%
1882	0.277	+0.0%
1883	0.277	+0.0%
1884	0.277	+0.0%
1885	0.277	+0.0%
1886	0.277	+0.0%
1887	0.277	+0.0%
1888	0.277	+0.0%
1889	0.277	+0.0%
1890	0.277	+0.0%
1891	0.277	+0.0%
1892	0.277	+0.0%
1893	0.277	+0.0%
1894	0.501	+80.9%
1895	0.501	+0.0%
1896	0.501	+0.0%
1897	0.501	+0.0%
1898	0.501	+0.0%
1899	0.501	+0.0%
1900	0.451	-10.0%
1901	0.451	+0.0%
1902	0.461	+2.2%
1903	0.461	+0.0%
1904	0.461	+0.0%
1905	0.493	+6.9%
1906	0.557	+13.0%
1907	0.558	+0.2%
1908	0.532	-4.7%
1909	0.508	-4.5%
1910	0.508	+0.0%
1911	0.508	+0.0%
1912	0.508	+0.0%
1913	0.508	+0.0%
1914	0.421	-17.1%
1915	0.421	+0.0%
1916	0.421	+0.0%
1917	0.5	+18.8%
1918	0.482	-3.6%
1919	0.702	+45.6%
1920	0.763	+8.7%
1921	0.769	+0.8%
1922	0.769	+0.0%
1923	0.769	+0.0%
1924	0.769	+0.0%
1925	0.769	+0.0%
1926	0.769	+0.0%
1927	0.769	+0.0%
1928	0.769	+0.0%
1929	0.764	-0.7%
1930	0.677	-11.4%
1931	0.677	+0.0%
1932	0.68	+0.4%
1933	0.696	+2.4%
1934	0.696	+0.0%
1935	0.696	+0.0%
1936	0.714	+2.6%
1937	0.726	+1.7%
1938	0.726	+0.0%
1939	0.564	-22.3%
1940	0.502	-11.0%
1941	0.502	+0.0%
1942	0.495	-1.4%
1943	0.495	+0.0%
1944	0.495	+0.0%
1945	0.729	+47.3%
1946	0.77	+5.6%
1947	0.763	-0.9%
1948	0.784	+2.8%
1949	0.905	+15.4%
1950	0.905	+0.0%
1951	0.905	+0.0%
1952	0.905	+0.0%
1953	0.906	+0.1%
1954	0.908	+0.2%
1955	0.908	+0.0%
1956	0.908	+0.0%
1957	0.908	+0.0%
1958	0.908	+0.0%
1959	0.908	+0.0%
1960	0.908	+0.0%
1961	0.908	+0.0%
1962	0.908	+0.0%
1963	0.908	+0.0%
1964	0.913	+0.6%
1965	0.919	+0.7%
1966	0.919	+0.0%
1967	0.919	+0.0%
1968	0.919	+0.0%
1969	0.919	+0.0%
1970	0.919	+0.0%
1971	0.919	+0.0%
1972	0.919	+0.0%
1973	0.919	+0.0%
1974	0.919	+0.0%
1975	0.919	+0.0%
1976	0.924	+0.5%
1977	0.924	+0.0%
1978	0.924	+0.0%
1979	0.924	+0.0%
1980	0.925	+0.1%
1981	0.935	+1.1%
1982	0.934	-0.1%
1983	0.941	+0.7%
1984	0.941	+0.0%
1985	0.941	+0.0%
1986	0.941	+0.0%
1987	0.948	+0.7%
1988	0.948	+0.0%
1989	0.948	+0.0%
1990	0.969	+2.2%
1991	0.977	+0.8%
1992	0.977	+0.0%
1993	0.977	+0.0%
1994	0.977	+0.0%
1995	0.977	+0.0%
1996	0.977	+0.0%
1997	0.977	+0.0%
1998	0.977	+0.0%
1999	0.977	+0.0%
2000	0.977	+0.0%
2001	0.977	+0.0%
2002	0.977	+0.0%
2003	0.977	+0.0%
2004	0.977	+0.0%
2005	0.977	+0.0%
2006	0.977	+0.0%
2007	0.977	+0.0%
2008	0.977	+0.0%
2009	0.977	+0.0%
2010	0.977	+0.0%
2011	0.977	+0.0%
2012	0.977	+0.0%
2013	0.977	+0.0%
2014	0.977	+0.0%
2015	0.961	-1.6%
2016	0.961	+0.0%
2017	0.966	+0.5%
2018	0.976	+1.0%
2019	0.975	-0.1%
2020	0.977	+0.2%
2021	0.966	-1.1%
2022	0.966	+0.0%
2023	0.961	-0.5%
2024	0.95	-1.1%
2025	0.946	-0.4%

Finland compared with similar countries

Finland's 0.946 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.874, 1.1× the median. (55 countries reporting)
Finland's 0.946 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	0.438	0.438	0.438	1
1790s	0.4521	0.434	0.607	10
1800s	0.4166	0.26	0.434	10
1810s	0.26	0.26	0.26	10
1820s	0.26	0.26	0.26	10
1830s	0.26	0.26	0.26	10
1840s	0.26	0.26	0.26	10
1850s	0.26	0.26	0.26	10
1860s	0.277	0.277	0.277	10
1870s	0.277	0.277	0.277	10
1880s	0.277	0.277	0.277	10
1890s	0.4114	0.277	0.501	10
1900s	0.4933	0.451	0.558	10
1910s	0.4979	0.421	0.702	10
1920s	0.7679	0.763	0.769	10
1930s	0.6852	0.564	0.726	10
1940s	0.644	0.495	0.905	10
1950s	0.9069	0.905	0.908	10
1960s	0.914	0.908	0.919	10
1970s	0.921	0.919	0.924	10
1980s	0.9402	0.925	0.948	10
1990s	0.9762	0.969	0.977	10
2000s	0.977	0.977	0.977	10
2010s	0.9724	0.961	0.977	10
2020s	0.961	0.946	0.977	6

Countries ranked near Finland

7 Luxembourg 0.957 compare
8 Norway 0.953 compare
9 Czechia 0.947 compare
10 Sweden 0.946 compare
12 Canada 0.933 compare
12 South Korea 0.933 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Finland

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 102,544 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 5 (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 5 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0182 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 Finland →

Frequently asked questions

What is freedom of expression index in Finland?: Freedom of expression index in Finland was 0.946 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest freedom of expression index recorded in Finland?: The highest recorded value was 0.977 in 1991.
What is the lowest freedom of expression index recorded in Finland?: The lowest recorded value was 0.26 in 1809.
How does Finland rank for freedom of expression index?: Finland ranks 10th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Finland?: Over the last ten years it is down 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Finland 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 Finland. 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/finland/

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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.