What is freedom of expression index in Jamaica?

Freedom of expression index in Jamaica was 0.919 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

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

The highest recorded value was 0.94 in 2019.

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

The lowest recorded value was 0.565 in 1939.

How does Jamaica rank for freedom of expression index?

Jamaica ranks 18th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Jamaica?

Over the last ten years it is down 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Where does this Jamaica 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 Jamaica

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

Jamaica: Freedom of Expression Index was 0.919 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)

0.919

Change on year

unchanged

World rank

18th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.94

in 2019

All-time low

0.565

in 1939

Years of data

126

1900–2025

Freedom of Expression Index in Jamaica, 1900–2025

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

Analysis

Jamaica recorded 0.919 for freedom of expression index in 2025.

That represents a change of down 2.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, freedom of expression index in Jamaica peaked at 0.94 in 2019 and was at its lowest, 0.565, in 1939.

Jamaica ranks 18th of 176 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 126 years of available data.

Freedom of Expression Index in Jamaica, year by year

Annual values for Freedom of Expression Index in Jamaica, 1900 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1900	0.583	—
1901	0.583	+0.0%
1902	0.583	+0.0%
1903	0.583	+0.0%
1904	0.583	+0.0%
1905	0.583	+0.0%
1906	0.583	+0.0%
1907	0.583	+0.0%
1908	0.583	+0.0%
1909	0.583	+0.0%
1910	0.583	+0.0%
1911	0.583	+0.0%
1912	0.583	+0.0%
1913	0.583	+0.0%
1914	0.583	+0.0%
1915	0.583	+0.0%
1916	0.583	+0.0%
1917	0.583	+0.0%
1918	0.583	+0.0%
1919	0.583	+0.0%
1920	0.583	+0.0%
1921	0.583	+0.0%
1922	0.583	+0.0%
1923	0.583	+0.0%
1924	0.583	+0.0%
1925	0.583	+0.0%
1926	0.583	+0.0%
1927	0.583	+0.0%
1928	0.583	+0.0%
1929	0.583	+0.0%
1930	0.59	+1.2%
1931	0.59	+0.0%
1932	0.59	+0.0%
1933	0.59	+0.0%
1934	0.59	+0.0%
1935	0.59	+0.0%
1936	0.59	+0.0%
1937	0.605	+2.5%
1938	0.587	-3.0%
1939	0.565	-3.7%
1940	0.566	+0.2%
1941	0.566	+0.0%
1942	0.566	+0.0%
1943	0.566	+0.0%
1944	0.605	+6.9%
1945	0.643	+6.3%
1946	0.646	+0.5%
1947	0.696	+7.7%
1948	0.696	+0.0%
1949	0.696	+0.0%
1950	0.689	-1.0%
1951	0.689	+0.0%
1952	0.696	+1.0%
1953	0.696	+0.0%
1954	0.696	+0.0%
1955	0.711	+2.2%
1956	0.711	+0.0%
1957	0.711	+0.0%
1958	0.711	+0.0%
1959	0.711	+0.0%
1960	0.722	+1.5%
1961	0.722	+0.0%
1962	0.797	+10.4%
1963	0.796	-0.1%
1964	0.796	+0.0%
1965	0.773	-2.9%
1966	0.773	+0.0%
1967	0.77	-0.4%
1968	0.762	-1.0%
1969	0.762	+0.0%
1970	0.776	+1.8%
1971	0.776	+0.0%
1972	0.78	+0.5%
1973	0.746	-4.4%
1974	0.754	+1.1%
1975	0.756	+0.3%
1976	0.754	-0.3%
1977	0.754	+0.0%
1978	0.754	+0.0%
1979	0.754	+0.0%
1980	0.767	+1.7%
1981	0.809	+5.5%
1982	0.809	+0.0%
1983	0.809	+0.0%
1984	0.806	-0.4%
1985	0.809	+0.4%
1986	0.809	+0.0%
1987	0.809	+0.0%
1988	0.809	+0.0%
1989	0.809	+0.0%
1990	0.855	+5.7%
1991	0.855	+0.0%
1992	0.855	+0.0%
1993	0.855	+0.0%
1994	0.864	+1.1%
1995	0.879	+1.7%
1996	0.884	+0.6%
1997	0.884	+0.0%
1998	0.884	+0.0%
1999	0.884	+0.0%
2000	0.896	+1.4%
2001	0.896	+0.0%
2002	0.896	+0.0%
2003	0.896	+0.0%
2004	0.896	+0.0%
2005	0.903	+0.8%
2006	0.907	+0.4%
2007	0.907	+0.0%
2008	0.907	+0.0%
2009	0.907	+0.0%
2010	0.907	+0.0%
2011	0.907	+0.0%
2012	0.907	+0.0%
2013	0.938	+3.4%
2014	0.938	+0.0%
2015	0.938	+0.0%
2016	0.938	+0.0%
2017	0.939	+0.1%
2018	0.932	-0.7%
2019	0.94	+0.9%
2020	0.94	+0.0%
2021	0.928	-1.3%
2022	0.919	-1.0%
2023	0.919	+0.0%
2024	0.919	+0.0%
2025	0.919	+0.0%

Jamaica compared with similar countries

Jamaica's 0.919 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.6745, 1.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Jamaica's 0.919 is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 0.81, 1.1× the median. (25 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1900s	0.583	0.583	0.583	10
1910s	0.583	0.583	0.583	10
1920s	0.583	0.583	0.583	10
1930s	0.5887	0.565	0.605	10
1940s	0.6246	0.566	0.696	10
1950s	0.7021	0.689	0.711	10
1960s	0.7673	0.722	0.797	10
1970s	0.7604	0.746	0.78	10
1980s	0.8045	0.767	0.809	10
1990s	0.8699	0.855	0.884	10
2000s	0.9011	0.896	0.907	10
2010s	0.9284	0.907	0.94	10
2020s	0.924	0.919	0.94	6

Countries ranked near Jamaica

15 Uruguay 0.931 compare
16 New Zealand 0.927 compare
17 Chile 0.926 compare
19 Austria 0.918 compare
20 Lithuania 0.917 compare
20 Poland 0.917 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Jamaica

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 31 (2022)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2,642 (2025)
Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 2 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0009 units per person (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2,642 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2022)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2022)

All data for Jamaica →

Frequently asked questions

What is freedom of expression index in Jamaica?: Freedom of expression index in Jamaica was 0.919 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest freedom of expression index recorded in Jamaica?: The highest recorded value was 0.94 in 2019.
What is the lowest freedom of expression index recorded in Jamaica?: The lowest recorded value was 0.565 in 1939.
How does Jamaica rank for freedom of expression index?: Jamaica ranks 18th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Jamaica?: Over the last ten years it is down 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Jamaica 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 Jamaica. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 08 November 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/freedom-of-expression-index/jamaica/

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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: 30 October 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.