Freedom of Expression Index in Ghana
Ghana: Freedom of Expression Index was 0.896 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Freedom of Expression Index in Ghana, 1902–2025
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
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | 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
More social development data for Ghana
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 21,050 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 16,030 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Varieties of democracy 0.711 (2025)
- Liberal Democracy Index 0.606 (2025)
- Human Rights Index 0.912 (2025)
- Participatory Democracy Index 0.361 (2025)
- Key features of human rights 0.912 (2025)
- Key features of electoral democracy 0.711 (2025)
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
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.