What is freedom of expression index in France?

Freedom of expression index in France was 0.959 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

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

The highest recorded value was 0.971 in 2011.

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

The lowest recorded value was 0.169 in 1800.

How does France rank for freedom of expression index?

France ranks 6th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in France?

Over the last ten years it is down 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Where does this France 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 France

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

France: Freedom of Expression Index was 0.959 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)

0.959

Change on year

unchanged

World rank

6th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.971

in 2011

All-time low

0.169

in 1800

Years of data

237

1789–2025

Freedom of Expression Index in France, 1789–2025

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for freedom of expression index in France is 0.959, measured in 2025.

The figure is down 1.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, freedom of expression index in France peaked at 0.971 in 2011 and was at its lowest, 0.169, in 1800.

France ranks 6th of 176 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 237 years of available data.

Freedom of Expression Index in France, year by year

Annual values for Freedom of Expression Index in France, 1789 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1789	0.771	—
1790	0.771	+0.0%
1791	0.771	+0.0%
1792	0.588	-23.7%
1793	0.588	+0.0%
1794	0.588	+0.0%
1795	0.721	+22.6%
1796	0.721	+0.0%
1797	0.721	+0.0%
1798	0.721	+0.0%
1799	0.638	-11.5%
1800	0.169	-73.5%
1801	0.169	+0.0%
1802	0.169	+0.0%
1803	0.169	+0.0%
1804	0.169	+0.0%
1805	0.169	+0.0%
1806	0.169	+0.0%
1807	0.169	+0.0%
1808	0.169	+0.0%
1809	0.169	+0.0%
1810	0.169	+0.0%
1811	0.169	+0.0%
1812	0.169	+0.0%
1813	0.169	+0.0%
1814	0.169	+0.0%
1815	0.49	+189.9%
1816	0.49	+0.0%
1817	0.49	+0.0%
1818	0.49	+0.0%
1819	0.49	+0.0%
1820	0.49	+0.0%
1821	0.434	-11.4%
1822	0.362	-16.6%
1823	0.362	+0.0%
1824	0.362	+0.0%
1825	0.362	+0.0%
1826	0.362	+0.0%
1827	0.362	+0.0%
1828	0.362	+0.0%
1829	0.362	+0.0%
1830	0.526	+45.3%
1831	0.526	+0.0%
1832	0.526	+0.0%
1833	0.526	+0.0%
1834	0.526	+0.0%
1835	0.526	+0.0%
1836	0.526	+0.0%
1837	0.526	+0.0%
1838	0.526	+0.0%
1839	0.526	+0.0%
1840	0.526	+0.0%
1841	0.526	+0.0%
1842	0.526	+0.0%
1843	0.526	+0.0%
1844	0.526	+0.0%
1845	0.526	+0.0%
1846	0.526	+0.0%
1847	0.526	+0.0%
1848	0.885	+68.3%
1849	0.885	+0.0%
1850	0.885	+0.0%
1851	0.298	-66.3%
1852	0.208	-30.2%
1853	0.208	+0.0%
1854	0.208	+0.0%
1855	0.208	+0.0%
1856	0.208	+0.0%
1857	0.208	+0.0%
1858	0.208	+0.0%
1859	0.208	+0.0%
1860	0.208	+0.0%
1861	0.32	+53.8%
1862	0.363	+13.4%
1863	0.363	+0.0%
1864	0.363	+0.0%
1865	0.363	+0.0%
1866	0.363	+0.0%
1867	0.363	+0.0%
1868	0.363	+0.0%
1869	0.363	+0.0%
1870	0.717	+97.5%
1871	0.748	+4.3%
1872	0.789	+5.5%
1873	0.789	+0.0%
1874	0.789	+0.0%
1875	0.789	+0.0%
1876	0.789	+0.0%
1877	0.789	+0.0%
1878	0.844	+7.0%
1879	0.899	+6.5%
1880	0.899	+0.0%
1881	0.899	+0.0%
1882	0.899	+0.0%
1883	0.899	+0.0%
1884	0.899	+0.0%
1885	0.899	+0.0%
1886	0.899	+0.0%
1887	0.899	+0.0%
1888	0.899	+0.0%
1889	0.899	+0.0%
1890	0.899	+0.0%
1891	0.899	+0.0%
1892	0.899	+0.0%
1893	0.882	-1.9%
1894	0.882	+0.0%
1895	0.882	+0.0%
1896	0.882	+0.0%
1897	0.882	+0.0%
1898	0.882	+0.0%
1899	0.882	+0.0%
1900	0.923	+4.6%
1901	0.923	+0.0%
1902	0.923	+0.0%
1903	0.923	+0.0%
1904	0.923	+0.0%
1905	0.923	+0.0%
1906	0.923	+0.0%
1907	0.923	+0.0%
1908	0.923	+0.0%
1909	0.923	+0.0%
1910	0.923	+0.0%
1911	0.923	+0.0%
1912	0.923	+0.0%
1913	0.923	+0.0%
1914	0.74	-19.8%
1915	0.74	+0.0%
1916	0.74	+0.0%
1917	0.74	+0.0%
1918	0.756	+2.2%
1919	0.813	+7.5%
1920	0.9	+10.7%
1921	0.9	+0.0%
1922	0.9	+0.0%
1923	0.9	+0.0%
1924	0.9	+0.0%
1925	0.888	-1.3%
1926	0.888	+0.0%
1927	0.888	+0.0%
1928	0.888	+0.0%
1929	0.888	+0.0%
1930	0.888	+0.0%
1931	0.888	+0.0%
1932	0.888	+0.0%
1933	0.888	+0.0%
1934	0.891	+0.3%
1935	0.886	-0.6%
1936	0.871	-1.7%
1937	0.871	+0.0%
1938	0.871	+0.0%
1939	0.807	-7.3%
1940	0.259	-67.9%
1941	0.256	-1.2%
1942	0.256	+0.0%
1943	0.256	+0.0%
1944	0.256	+0.0%
1945	0.528	+106.2%
1946	0.878	+66.3%
1947	0.888	+1.1%
1948	0.888	+0.0%
1949	0.888	+0.0%
1950	0.888	+0.0%
1951	0.888	+0.0%
1952	0.888	+0.0%
1953	0.888	+0.0%
1954	0.859	-3.3%
1955	0.859	+0.0%
1956	0.859	+0.0%
1957	0.875	+1.9%
1958	0.861	-1.6%
1959	0.814	-5.5%
1960	0.818	+0.5%
1961	0.818	+0.0%
1962	0.818	+0.0%
1963	0.858	+4.9%
1964	0.858	+0.0%
1965	0.858	+0.0%
1966	0.858	+0.0%
1967	0.858	+0.0%
1968	0.858	+0.0%
1969	0.9	+4.9%
1970	0.933	+3.7%
1971	0.933	+0.0%
1972	0.92	-1.4%
1973	0.92	+0.0%
1974	0.92	+0.0%
1975	0.933	+1.4%
1976	0.933	+0.0%
1977	0.933	+0.0%
1978	0.933	+0.0%
1979	0.933	+0.0%
1980	0.933	+0.0%
1981	0.945	+1.3%
1982	0.952	+0.7%
1983	0.952	+0.0%
1984	0.952	+0.0%
1985	0.952	+0.0%
1986	0.952	+0.0%
1987	0.952	+0.0%
1988	0.961	+0.9%
1989	0.961	+0.0%
1990	0.961	+0.0%
1991	0.961	+0.0%
1992	0.961	+0.0%
1993	0.961	+0.0%
1994	0.961	+0.0%
1995	0.954	-0.7%
1996	0.962	+0.8%
1997	0.962	+0.0%
1998	0.962	+0.0%
1999	0.962	+0.0%
2000	0.962	+0.0%
2001	0.962	+0.0%
2002	0.962	+0.0%
2003	0.962	+0.0%
2004	0.962	+0.0%
2005	0.962	+0.0%
2006	0.962	+0.0%
2007	0.957	-0.5%
2008	0.967	+1.0%
2009	0.967	+0.0%
2010	0.967	+0.0%
2011	0.971	+0.4%
2012	0.97	-0.1%
2013	0.97	+0.0%
2014	0.97	+0.0%
2015	0.97	+0.0%
2016	0.97	+0.0%
2017	0.97	+0.0%
2018	0.968	-0.2%
2019	0.966	-0.2%
2020	0.966	+0.0%
2021	0.969	+0.3%
2022	0.963	-0.6%
2023	0.957	-0.6%
2024	0.959	+0.2%
2025	0.959	+0.0%

France compared with similar countries

France's 0.959 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.874, 1.1× the median. (55 countries reporting)
France's 0.959 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	0.771	0.771	0.771	1
1790s	0.6828	0.588	0.771	10
1800s	0.169	0.169	0.169	10
1810s	0.3295	0.169	0.49	10
1820s	0.382	0.362	0.49	10
1830s	0.526	0.526	0.526	10
1840s	0.5978	0.526	0.885	10
1850s	0.2847	0.208	0.885	10
1860s	0.3432	0.208	0.363	10
1870s	0.7942	0.717	0.899	10
1880s	0.899	0.899	0.899	10
1890s	0.8871	0.882	0.899	10
1900s	0.923	0.923	0.923	10
1910s	0.8221	0.74	0.923	10
1920s	0.894	0.888	0.9	10
1930s	0.8749	0.807	0.891	10
1940s	0.5353	0.256	0.888	10
1950s	0.8679	0.814	0.888	10
1960s	0.8502	0.818	0.9	10
1970s	0.9291	0.92	0.933	10
1980s	0.9512	0.933	0.961	10
1990s	0.9607	0.954	0.962	10
2000s	0.9625	0.957	0.967	10
2010s	0.9692	0.966	0.971	10
2020s	0.9622	0.957	0.969	6

Countries ranked near France

3 Belgium 0.969 compare
3 Estonia 0.969 compare
5 Switzerland 0.967 compare
7 Luxembourg 0.957 compare
8 Norway 0.953 compare
9 Czechia 0.947 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for France

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 788,419 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 166 (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 166 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0115 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 France →

Frequently asked questions

What is freedom of expression index in France?: Freedom of expression index in France was 0.959 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest freedom of expression index recorded in France?: The highest recorded value was 0.971 in 2011.
What is the lowest freedom of expression index recorded in France?: The lowest recorded value was 0.169 in 1800.
How does France rank for freedom of expression index?: France ranks 6th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in France?: Over the last ten years it is down 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this France 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 France. 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/france/

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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.