What is freedom of expression index in Kenya?

Freedom of expression index in Kenya was 0.9 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

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

The highest recorded value was 0.9 in 2025.

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

The lowest recorded value was 0.031 in 1926.

How does Kenya rank for freedom of expression index?

Kenya ranks 29th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Kenya?

Over the last ten years it is up 2.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Kenya 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 Kenya

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

Kenya: Freedom of Expression Index was 0.9 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)

0.9

Change on year

up 0.3%

World rank

29th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.9

in 2025

All-time low

0.031

in 1926

Years of data

126

1900–2025

Freedom of Expression Index in Kenya, 1900–2025

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for freedom of expression index in Kenya is 0.9, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 126 years on record.

That represents a change of up 0.3% on the previous year and up 2.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, freedom of expression index in Kenya peaked at 0.9 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.031, in 1926.

Kenya ranks 29th of 176 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1900s	0.032	0.032	0.032	10
1910s	0.032	0.032	0.032	10
1920s	0.0418	0.031	0.082	10
1930s	0.097	0.097	0.097	10
1940s	0.0906	0.086	0.093	10
1950s	0.0826	0.067	0.09	10
1960s	0.1954	0.125	0.236	10
1970s	0.2035	0.192	0.216	10
1980s	0.1795	0.161	0.207	10
1990s	0.5252	0.254	0.62	10
2000s	0.8083	0.676	0.865	10
2010s	0.8737	0.834	0.898	10
2020s	0.8803	0.853	0.9	6

Countries ranked near Kenya

26 Brazil 0.91 compare
26 Netherlands 0.91 compare
28 Dominican Republic 0.901 compare
30 Portugal 0.899 compare
31 Ghana 0.896 compare
32 Suriname 0.891 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Kenya

Political Rights Rating 4 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 617,125 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 13,325 (2025)
Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
Varieties of democracy 0.563 (2025)
Liberal Democracy Index 0.446 (2025)
Human Rights Index 0.74 (2025)
Participatory Democracy Index 0.335 (2025)
Key features of human rights 0.74 (2025)
Key features of electoral democracy 0.563 (2025)

All data for Kenya →

Frequently asked questions

What is freedom of expression index in Kenya?: Freedom of expression index in Kenya was 0.9 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest freedom of expression index recorded in Kenya?: The highest recorded value was 0.9 in 2025.
What is the lowest freedom of expression index recorded in Kenya?: The lowest recorded value was 0.031 in 1926.
How does Kenya rank for freedom of expression index?: Kenya ranks 29th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Kenya?: Over the last ten years it is up 2.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Kenya 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

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: 07 August 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.