What is freedom of expression index in Iraq?

Freedom of expression index in Iraq was 0.571 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

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

The highest recorded value was 0.647 in 2008.

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

The lowest recorded value was 0.027 in 1890.

How does Iraq rank for freedom of expression index?

Iraq ranks 111th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Iraq?

Over the last ten years it is down 7.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Iraq 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 Iraq

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

Iraq: Freedom of Expression Index was 0.571 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)

0.571

Change on year

up 7.1%

World rank

111th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.647

in 2008

All-time low

0.027

in 1890

Years of data

237

1789–2025

Freedom of Expression Index in Iraq, 1789–2025

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for freedom of expression index in Iraq is 0.571, measured in 2025.

That represents a change of up 7.1% on the previous year and down 7.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, freedom of expression index in Iraq peaked at 0.647 in 2008 and was at its lowest, 0.027, in 1890.

Iraq ranks 111th of 176 countries on this measure, 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 Iraq, year by year

Annual values for Freedom of Expression Index in Iraq, 1789 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1789	0.08	—
1790	0.08	+0.0%
1791	0.08	+0.0%
1792	0.08	+0.0%
1793	0.08	+0.0%
1794	0.08	+0.0%
1795	0.08	+0.0%
1796	0.08	+0.0%
1797	0.08	+0.0%
1798	0.08	+0.0%
1799	0.08	+0.0%
1800	0.08	+0.0%
1801	0.08	+0.0%
1802	0.08	+0.0%
1803	0.08	+0.0%
1804	0.08	+0.0%
1805	0.08	+0.0%
1806	0.08	+0.0%
1807	0.08	+0.0%
1808	0.075	-6.3%
1809	0.069	-8.0%
1810	0.069	+0.0%
1811	0.069	+0.0%
1812	0.069	+0.0%
1813	0.069	+0.0%
1814	0.069	+0.0%
1815	0.069	+0.0%
1816	0.069	+0.0%
1817	0.069	+0.0%
1818	0.069	+0.0%
1819	0.069	+0.0%
1820	0.069	+0.0%
1821	0.069	+0.0%
1822	0.069	+0.0%
1823	0.069	+0.0%
1824	0.069	+0.0%
1825	0.069	+0.0%
1826	0.069	+0.0%
1827	0.069	+0.0%
1828	0.069	+0.0%
1829	0.069	+0.0%
1830	0.069	+0.0%
1831	0.069	+0.0%
1832	0.069	+0.0%
1833	0.069	+0.0%
1834	0.069	+0.0%
1835	0.069	+0.0%
1836	0.069	+0.0%
1837	0.069	+0.0%
1838	0.069	+0.0%
1839	0.075	+8.7%
1840	0.071	-5.3%
1841	0.071	+0.0%
1842	0.071	+0.0%
1843	0.071	+0.0%
1844	0.071	+0.0%
1845	0.071	+0.0%
1846	0.071	+0.0%
1847	0.071	+0.0%
1848	0.071	+0.0%
1849	0.071	+0.0%
1850	0.071	+0.0%
1851	0.071	+0.0%
1852	0.071	+0.0%
1853	0.071	+0.0%
1854	0.071	+0.0%
1855	0.071	+0.0%
1856	0.071	+0.0%
1857	0.071	+0.0%
1858	0.071	+0.0%
1859	0.071	+0.0%
1860	0.167	+135.2%
1861	0.2	+19.8%
1862	0.2	+0.0%
1863	0.2	+0.0%
1864	0.2	+0.0%
1865	0.2	+0.0%
1866	0.2	+0.0%
1867	0.217	+8.5%
1868	0.217	+0.0%
1869	0.217	+0.0%
1870	0.217	+0.0%
1871	0.217	+0.0%
1872	0.217	+0.0%
1873	0.217	+0.0%
1874	0.217	+0.0%
1875	0.217	+0.0%
1876	0.217	+0.0%
1877	0.071	-67.3%
1878	0.044	-38.0%
1879	0.044	+0.0%
1880	0.044	+0.0%
1881	0.044	+0.0%
1882	0.044	+0.0%
1883	0.044	+0.0%
1884	0.044	+0.0%
1885	0.044	+0.0%
1886	0.044	+0.0%
1887	0.044	+0.0%
1888	0.044	+0.0%
1889	0.044	+0.0%
1890	0.027	-38.6%
1891	0.027	+0.0%
1892	0.027	+0.0%
1893	0.027	+0.0%
1894	0.027	+0.0%
1895	0.027	+0.0%
1896	0.027	+0.0%
1897	0.027	+0.0%
1898	0.027	+0.0%
1899	0.027	+0.0%
1900	0.032	+18.5%
1901	0.032	+0.0%
1902	0.032	+0.0%
1903	0.032	+0.0%
1904	0.032	+0.0%
1905	0.032	+0.0%
1906	0.032	+0.0%
1907	0.032	+0.0%
1908	0.099	+209.4%
1909	0.379	+282.8%
1910	0.373	-1.6%
1911	0.35	-6.2%
1912	0.279	-20.3%
1913	0.145	-48.0%
1914	0.123	-15.2%
1915	0.117	-4.9%
1916	0.117	+0.0%
1917	0.117	+0.0%
1918	0.14	+19.7%
1919	0.282	+101.4%
1920	0.406	+44.0%
1921	0.42	+3.4%
1922	0.42	+0.0%
1923	0.42	+0.0%
1924	0.42	+0.0%
1925	0.438	+4.3%
1926	0.435	-0.7%
1927	0.42	-3.4%
1928	0.422	+0.5%
1929	0.422	+0.0%
1930	0.422	+0.0%
1931	0.404	-4.3%
1932	0.447	+10.6%
1933	0.446	-0.2%
1934	0.446	+0.0%
1935	0.446	+0.0%
1936	0.446	+0.0%
1937	0.433	-2.9%
1938	0.444	+2.5%
1939	0.452	+1.8%
1940	0.452	+0.0%
1941	0.418	-7.5%
1942	0.414	-1.0%
1943	0.414	+0.0%
1944	0.414	+0.0%
1945	0.407	-1.7%
1946	0.419	+2.9%
1947	0.419	+0.0%
1948	0.419	+0.0%
1949	0.428	+2.1%
1950	0.439	+2.6%
1951	0.439	+0.0%
1952	0.46	+4.8%
1953	0.46	+0.0%
1954	0.423	-8.0%
1955	0.423	+0.0%
1956	0.423	+0.0%
1957	0.423	+0.0%
1958	0.403	-4.7%
1959	0.352	-12.7%
1960	0.365	+3.7%
1961	0.303	-17.0%
1962	0.308	+1.7%
1963	0.178	-42.2%
1964	0.171	-3.9%
1965	0.192	+12.3%
1966	0.218	+13.5%
1967	0.239	+9.6%
1968	0.13	-45.6%
1969	0.108	-16.9%
1970	0.107	-0.9%
1971	0.107	+0.0%
1972	0.107	+0.0%
1973	0.109	+1.9%
1974	0.116	+6.4%
1975	0.106	-8.6%
1976	0.11	+3.8%
1977	0.093	-15.5%
1978	0.093	+0.0%
1979	0.076	-18.3%
1980	0.04	-47.4%
1981	0.04	+0.0%
1982	0.04	+0.0%
1983	0.04	+0.0%
1984	0.04	+0.0%
1985	0.04	+0.0%
1986	0.04	+0.0%
1987	0.04	+0.0%
1988	0.042	+5.0%
1989	0.045	+7.1%
1990	0.045	+0.0%
1991	0.043	-4.4%
1992	0.043	+0.0%
1993	0.043	+0.0%
1994	0.049	+14.0%
1995	0.053	+8.2%
1996	0.049	-7.5%
1997	0.049	+0.0%
1998	0.049	+0.0%
1999	0.049	+0.0%
2000	0.049	+0.0%
2001	0.049	+0.0%
2002	0.049	+0.0%
2003	0.273	+457.1%
2004	0.628	+130.0%
2005	0.636	+1.3%
2006	0.636	+0.0%
2007	0.636	+0.0%
2008	0.647	+1.7%
2009	0.633	-2.2%
2010	0.613	-3.2%
2011	0.616	+0.5%
2012	0.602	-2.3%
2013	0.617	+2.5%
2014	0.618	+0.2%
2015	0.614	-0.6%
2016	0.627	+2.1%
2017	0.578	-7.8%
2018	0.62	+7.3%
2019	0.601	-3.1%
2020	0.532	-11.5%
2021	0.539	+1.3%
2022	0.548	+1.7%
2023	0.527	-3.8%
2024	0.533	+1.1%
2025	0.571	+7.1%

Iraq compared with similar countries

Iraq's 0.571 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.6745, 85% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Iraq's 0.571 is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 0.367, 1.6× the median. (23 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1780s	0.08	0.08	0.08	1
1790s	0.08	0.08	0.08	10
1800s	0.0784	0.069	0.08	10
1810s	0.069	0.069	0.069	10
1820s	0.069	0.069	0.069	10
1830s	0.0696	0.069	0.075	10
1840s	0.071	0.071	0.071	10
1850s	0.071	0.071	0.071	10
1860s	0.2018	0.167	0.217	10
1870s	0.1678	0.044	0.217	10
1880s	0.044	0.044	0.044	10
1890s	0.027	0.027	0.027	10
1900s	0.0734	0.032	0.379	10
1910s	0.2043	0.117	0.373	10
1920s	0.4223	0.406	0.438	10
1930s	0.4386	0.404	0.452	10
1940s	0.4204	0.407	0.452	10
1950s	0.4245	0.352	0.46	10
1960s	0.2212	0.108	0.365	10
1970s	0.1024	0.076	0.116	10
1980s	0.0407	0.04	0.045	10
1990s	0.0472	0.043	0.053	10
2000s	0.4236	0.049	0.647	10
2010s	0.6106	0.578	0.627	10
2020s	0.5417	0.527	0.571	6

Countries ranked near Iraq

108 Malaysia 0.586 compare
109 Morocco 0.579 compare
109 Togo 0.579 compare
112 Guinea 0.56 compare
113 Pakistan 0.559 compare
114 Jordan 0.556 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Iraq

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 322,345 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 270,671 (2025)
Political Rights Rating 5 (2025)
Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 5 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0058 units per person (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 270,671 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0069 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 Iraq →

Frequently asked questions

What is freedom of expression index in Iraq?: Freedom of expression index in Iraq was 0.571 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest freedom of expression index recorded in Iraq?: The highest recorded value was 0.647 in 2008.
What is the lowest freedom of expression index recorded in Iraq?: The lowest recorded value was 0.027 in 1890.
How does Iraq rank for freedom of expression index?: Iraq ranks 111th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Iraq?: Over the last ten years it is down 7.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Iraq 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 Iraq. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/freedom-of-expression-index/iraq/

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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.