What is freedom of expression index in Germany?

Freedom of expression index in Germany was 0.914 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

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

The highest recorded value was 0.984 in 1991.

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

The lowest recorded value was 0.039 in 1939.

How does Germany rank for freedom of expression index?

Germany ranks 24th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Germany?

Over the last ten years it is down 6.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Germany 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 Germany

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

Germany: Freedom of Expression Index was 0.914 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)

0.914

Change on year

down 0.7%

World rank

24th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.984

in 1991

All-time low

0.039

in 1939

Years of data

191

1789–2025

Freedom of Expression Index in Germany, 1789–2025

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

Analysis

Germany recorded 0.914 for freedom of expression index in 2025.

The figure is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 6.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, freedom of expression index in Germany peaked at 0.984 in 1991 and was at its lowest, 0.039, in 1939.

That places Germany 24th out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.

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

Freedom of Expression Index in Germany, year by year

Annual values for Freedom of Expression Index in Germany, 1789 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1789	0.14	—
1790	0.14	+0.0%
1791	0.14	+0.0%
1792	0.14	+0.0%
1793	0.14	+0.0%
1794	0.14	+0.0%
1795	0.14	+0.0%
1796	0.14	+0.0%
1797	0.14	+0.0%
1798	0.14	+0.0%
1799	0.14	+0.0%
1800	0.14	+0.0%
1801	0.14	+0.0%
1802	0.14	+0.0%
1803	0.14	+0.0%
1804	0.14	+0.0%
1805	0.14	+0.0%
1806	0.14	+0.0%
1807	0.14	+0.0%
1808	0.14	+0.0%
1809	0.14	+0.0%
1810	0.14	+0.0%
1811	0.14	+0.0%
1812	0.14	+0.0%
1813	0.14	+0.0%
1814	0.14	+0.0%
1815	0.166	+18.6%
1816	0.166	+0.0%
1817	0.166	+0.0%
1818	0.166	+0.0%
1819	0.166	+0.0%
1820	0.166	+0.0%
1821	0.166	+0.0%
1822	0.166	+0.0%
1823	0.166	+0.0%
1824	0.166	+0.0%
1825	0.166	+0.0%
1826	0.166	+0.0%
1827	0.166	+0.0%
1828	0.166	+0.0%
1829	0.166	+0.0%
1830	0.166	+0.0%
1831	0.166	+0.0%
1832	0.166	+0.0%
1833	0.166	+0.0%
1834	0.166	+0.0%
1835	0.166	+0.0%
1836	0.166	+0.0%
1837	0.166	+0.0%
1838	0.166	+0.0%
1839	0.166	+0.0%
1840	0.166	+0.0%
1841	0.166	+0.0%
1842	0.166	+0.0%
1843	0.166	+0.0%
1844	0.166	+0.0%
1845	0.166	+0.0%
1846	0.166	+0.0%
1847	0.188	+13.3%
1848	0.409	+117.6%
1849	0.365	-10.8%
1850	0.272	-25.5%
1851	0.272	+0.0%
1852	0.272	+0.0%
1853	0.272	+0.0%
1854	0.272	+0.0%
1855	0.272	+0.0%
1856	0.272	+0.0%
1857	0.272	+0.0%
1858	0.272	+0.0%
1859	0.272	+0.0%
1860	0.272	+0.0%
1861	0.517	+90.1%
1862	0.525	+1.5%
1863	0.525	+0.0%
1864	0.525	+0.0%
1865	0.525	+0.0%
1866	0.525	+0.0%
1867	0.525	+0.0%
1868	0.525	+0.0%
1869	0.525	+0.0%
1870	0.554	+5.5%
1871	0.579	+4.5%
1872	0.579	+0.0%
1873	0.579	+0.0%
1874	0.579	+0.0%
1875	0.579	+0.0%
1876	0.579	+0.0%
1877	0.579	+0.0%
1878	0.579	+0.0%
1879	0.579	+0.0%
1880	0.579	+0.0%
1881	0.579	+0.0%
1882	0.579	+0.0%
1883	0.579	+0.0%
1884	0.579	+0.0%
1885	0.579	+0.0%
1886	0.579	+0.0%
1887	0.579	+0.0%
1888	0.579	+0.0%
1889	0.579	+0.0%
1890	0.59	+1.9%
1891	0.605	+2.5%
1892	0.605	+0.0%
1893	0.605	+0.0%
1894	0.605	+0.0%
1895	0.605	+0.0%
1896	0.605	+0.0%
1897	0.605	+0.0%
1898	0.619	+2.3%
1899	0.619	+0.0%
1900	0.602	-2.7%
1901	0.61	+1.3%
1902	0.61	+0.0%
1903	0.61	+0.0%
1904	0.614	+0.7%
1905	0.614	+0.0%
1906	0.608	-1.0%
1907	0.608	+0.0%
1908	0.612	+0.7%
1909	0.612	+0.0%
1910	0.612	+0.0%
1911	0.612	+0.0%
1912	0.607	-0.8%
1913	0.612	+0.8%
1914	0.549	-10.3%
1915	0.54	-1.6%
1916	0.539	-0.2%
1917	0.539	+0.0%
1918	0.575	+6.7%
1919	0.839	+45.9%
1920	0.857	+2.1%
1921	0.857	+0.0%
1922	0.843	-1.6%
1923	0.837	-0.7%
1924	0.837	+0.0%
1925	0.837	+0.0%
1926	0.837	+0.0%
1927	0.837	+0.0%
1928	0.837	+0.0%
1929	0.837	+0.0%
1930	0.829	-1.0%
1931	0.829	+0.0%
1932	0.831	+0.2%
1933	0.275	-66.9%
1934	0.049	-82.2%
1935	0.042	-14.3%
1936	0.042	+0.0%
1937	0.042	+0.0%
1938	0.042	+0.0%
1939	0.039	-7.1%
1940	0.039	+0.0%
1941	0.039	+0.0%
1942	0.039	+0.0%
1943	0.04	+2.6%
1944	0.04	+0.0%
1991	0.984	+2360.0%
1992	0.984	+0.0%
1993	0.984	+0.0%
1994	0.984	+0.0%
1995	0.984	+0.0%
1996	0.984	+0.0%
1997	0.984	+0.0%
1998	0.984	+0.0%
1999	0.984	+0.0%
2000	0.984	+0.0%
2001	0.984	+0.0%
2002	0.984	+0.0%
2003	0.984	+0.0%
2004	0.984	+0.0%
2005	0.984	+0.0%
2006	0.984	+0.0%
2007	0.984	+0.0%
2008	0.984	+0.0%
2009	0.984	+0.0%
2010	0.984	+0.0%
2011	0.984	+0.0%
2012	0.982	-0.2%
2013	0.982	+0.0%
2014	0.982	+0.0%
2015	0.979	-0.3%
2016	0.979	+0.0%
2017	0.978	-0.1%
2018	0.962	-1.6%
2019	0.962	+0.0%
2020	0.956	-0.6%
2021	0.956	+0.0%
2022	0.945	-1.2%
2023	0.945	+0.0%
2024	0.92	-2.6%
2025	0.914	-0.7%

Germany compared with similar countries

Germany's 0.914 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.874, 1.0× the median. (55 countries reporting)
Germany's 0.914 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	0.14	0.14	0.14	1
1790s	0.14	0.14	0.14	10
1800s	0.14	0.14	0.14	10
1810s	0.153	0.14	0.166	10
1820s	0.166	0.166	0.166	10
1830s	0.166	0.166	0.166	10
1840s	0.2124	0.166	0.409	10
1850s	0.272	0.272	0.272	10
1860s	0.4989	0.272	0.525	10
1870s	0.5765	0.554	0.579	10
1880s	0.579	0.579	0.579	10
1890s	0.6063	0.59	0.619	10
1900s	0.61	0.602	0.614	10
1910s	0.6024	0.539	0.839	10
1920s	0.8416	0.837	0.857	10
1930s	0.302	0.039	0.831	10
1940s	0.0394	0.039	0.04	5
1990s	0.984	0.984	0.984	9
2000s	0.984	0.984	0.984	10
2010s	0.9774	0.962	0.984	10
2020s	0.9393	0.914	0.956	6

Countries ranked near Germany

22 Australia 0.915 compare
22 Costa Rica 0.915 compare
25 Barbados 0.911 compare
26 Brazil 0.91 compare
26 Netherlands 0.91 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Germany

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2.66 million (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 327 (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 327 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0318 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 Germany →

Frequently asked questions

What is freedom of expression index in Germany?: Freedom of expression index in Germany was 0.914 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest freedom of expression index recorded in Germany?: The highest recorded value was 0.984 in 1991.
What is the lowest freedom of expression index recorded in Germany?: The lowest recorded value was 0.039 in 1939.
How does Germany rank for freedom of expression index?: Germany ranks 24th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Germany?: Over the last ten years it is down 6.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Germany 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 Germany. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/freedom-of-expression-index/germany/

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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: 18 September 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.