Freedom of Expression Index in Ghana

Ghana: Freedom of Expression Index was 0.896 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
0.896
Change on year
up 4.6%
World rank
31st
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.929
in 2012
All-time low
0.201
in 1984
Years of data
124
1902–2025

Freedom of Expression Index in Ghana, 1902–2025

0.20.40.60.81190219632025

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

Analysis

In 2025, freedom of expression index in Ghana stood at 0.896.

The figure is up 4.6% on the previous year and down 0.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, freedom of expression index in Ghana peaked at 0.929 in 2012 and was at its lowest, 0.201, in 1984.

Ghana ranks 31st of 176 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 124 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1900s 0.418 0.418 0.418 8
1910s 0.418 0.418 0.418 10
1920s 0.418 0.418 0.418 10
1930s 0.4204 0.418 0.43 10
1940s 0.4402 0.43 0.451 10
1950s 0.502 0.426 0.537 10
1960s 0.3849 0.327 0.553 10
1970s 0.3812 0.275 0.596 10
1980s 0.3092 0.201 0.688 10
1990s 0.628 0.241 0.823 10
2000s 0.9025 0.888 0.909 10
2010s 0.9054 0.872 0.929 10
2020s 0.8738 0.857 0.896 6

Countries ranked near Ghana

  1. 28 Dominican Republic 0.901 compare
  2. 29 Kenya 0.9 compare
  3. 30 Portugal 0.899 compare
  4. 32 Suriname 0.891 compare
  5. 33 Trinidad and Tobago 0.888 compare
  6. 34 Mauritius 0.887 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Ghana

All data for Ghana →

Frequently asked questions

What is freedom of expression index in Ghana?
Freedom of expression index in Ghana was 0.896 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest freedom of expression index recorded in Ghana?
The highest recorded value was 0.929 in 2012.
What is the lowest freedom of expression index recorded in Ghana?
The lowest recorded value was 0.201 in 1984.
How does Ghana rank for freedom of expression index?
Ghana ranks 31st out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Ghana?
Over the last ten years it is down 0.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Ghana 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 — 124 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

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.