Freedom of Expression Index in Guinea-Bissau
Guinea-Bissau: Freedom of Expression Index was 0.552 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
0.552
Change on year
down 11.1%
World rank
115th
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.666
in 2014
All-time low
0.017
in 1931
Years of data
126
1900–2025
Freedom of Expression Index in Guinea-Bissau, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, freedom of expression index in Guinea-Bissau stood at 0.552.
That represents a change of down 11.1% on the previous year and down 17.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, freedom of expression index in Guinea-Bissau peaked at 0.666 in 2014 and was at its lowest, 0.017, in 1931.
That places Guinea-Bissau 115th out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Freedom of Expression Index in Guinea-Bissau, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 0.066 | — |
| 1901 | 0.066 | +0.0% |
| 1902 | 0.066 | +0.0% |
| 1903 | 0.066 | +0.0% |
| 1904 | 0.066 | +0.0% |
| 1905 | 0.066 | +0.0% |
| 1906 | 0.066 | +0.0% |
| 1907 | 0.066 | +0.0% |
| 1908 | 0.066 | +0.0% |
| 1909 | 0.066 | +0.0% |
| 1910 | 0.069 | +4.5% |
| 1911 | 0.069 | +0.0% |
| 1912 | 0.069 | +0.0% |
| 1913 | 0.069 | +0.0% |
| 1914 | 0.069 | +0.0% |
| 1915 | 0.069 | +0.0% |
| 1916 | 0.069 | +0.0% |
| 1917 | 0.069 | +0.0% |
| 1918 | 0.069 | +0.0% |
| 1919 | 0.069 | +0.0% |
| 1920 | 0.069 | +0.0% |
| 1921 | 0.069 | +0.0% |
| 1922 | 0.069 | +0.0% |
| 1923 | 0.069 | +0.0% |
| 1924 | 0.069 | +0.0% |
| 1925 | 0.069 | +0.0% |
| 1926 | 0.056 | -18.8% |
| 1927 | 0.045 | -19.6% |
| 1928 | 0.038 | -15.6% |
| 1929 | 0.027 | -28.9% |
| 1930 | 0.022 | -18.5% |
| 1931 | 0.017 | -22.7% |
| 1932 | 0.017 | +0.0% |
| 1933 | 0.017 | +0.0% |
| 1934 | 0.017 | +0.0% |
| 1935 | 0.017 | +0.0% |
| 1936 | 0.017 | +0.0% |
| 1937 | 0.017 | +0.0% |
| 1938 | 0.017 | +0.0% |
| 1939 | 0.017 | +0.0% |
| 1940 | 0.017 | +0.0% |
| 1941 | 0.017 | +0.0% |
| 1942 | 0.017 | +0.0% |
| 1943 | 0.017 | +0.0% |
| 1944 | 0.017 | +0.0% |
| 1945 | 0.017 | +0.0% |
| 1946 | 0.02 | +17.6% |
| 1947 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1948 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1949 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1950 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1951 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1952 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1954 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1955 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1956 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1957 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1958 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1959 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1960 | 0.03 | +50.0% |
| 1961 | 0.03 | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 0.03 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 0.03 | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 0.03 | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 0.03 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 0.03 | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 0.03 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 0.03 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 0.03 | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 0.034 | +13.3% |
| 1971 | 0.034 | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 0.034 | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 0.047 | +38.2% |
| 1974 | 0.152 | +223.4% |
| 1975 | 0.169 | +11.2% |
| 1976 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 0.165 | -2.4% |
| 1981 | 0.154 | -6.7% |
| 1982 | 0.154 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 0.154 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 0.154 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 0.154 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 0.154 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 0.154 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 0.154 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 0.154 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 0.201 | +30.5% |
| 1991 | 0.201 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 0.276 | +37.3% |
| 1993 | 0.348 | +26.1% |
| 1994 | 0.443 | +27.3% |
| 1995 | 0.545 | +23.0% |
| 1996 | 0.545 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 0.545 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 0.554 | +1.7% |
| 1999 | 0.569 | +2.7% |
| 2000 | 0.582 | +2.3% |
| 2001 | 0.597 | +2.6% |
| 2002 | 0.613 | +2.7% |
| 2003 | 0.624 | +1.8% |
| 2004 | 0.625 | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 0.638 | +2.1% |
| 2006 | 0.63 | -1.3% |
| 2007 | 0.63 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 0.624 | -1.0% |
| 2009 | 0.627 | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 0.64 | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 0.64 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 0.623 | -2.7% |
| 2013 | 0.664 | +6.6% |
| 2014 | 0.666 | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 0.666 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 0.661 | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 0.623 | -5.7% |
| 2018 | 0.642 | +3.0% |
| 2019 | 0.643 | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 0.661 | +2.8% |
| 2021 | 0.666 | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 0.621 | -6.8% |
| 2023 | 0.638 | +2.7% |
| 2024 | 0.621 | -2.7% |
| 2025 | 0.552 | -11.1% |
Guinea-Bissau compared with similar countries
- Guinea-Bissau's 0.552 is above the median for low income countries, which is 0.432, 1.3× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Guinea-Bissau's 0.552 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.616, 90% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0.066 | 0.066 | 0.066 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.069 | 0.069 | 0.069 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.058 | 0.027 | 0.069 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.0175 | 0.017 | 0.022 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.0182 | 0.017 | 0.02 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.1146 | 0.034 | 0.169 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.1551 | 0.154 | 0.165 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.4227 | 0.201 | 0.569 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.619 | 0.582 | 0.638 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.6468 | 0.623 | 0.666 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.6265 | 0.552 | 0.666 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Guinea-Bissau
More social development data for Guinea-Bissau
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 24 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1,800 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 6 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 20 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 6 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0008 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1,800 (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 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is freedom of expression index in Guinea-Bissau?
- Freedom of expression index in Guinea-Bissau was 0.552 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest freedom of expression index recorded in Guinea-Bissau?
- The highest recorded value was 0.666 in 2014.
- What is the lowest freedom of expression index recorded in Guinea-Bissau?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.017 in 1931.
- How does Guinea-Bissau rank for freedom of expression index?
- Guinea-Bissau ranks 115th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
- Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Guinea-Bissau?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Guinea-Bissau 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 — 126 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.