What is freedom of expression index in Malaysia?

Freedom of expression index in Malaysia was 0.586 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

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

The highest recorded value was 0.659 in 2019.

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

The lowest recorded value was 0.096 in 1942.

How does Malaysia rank for freedom of expression index?

Malaysia ranks 108th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Malaysia?

Over the last ten years it is up 86.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Malaysia 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 Malaysia

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

Malaysia: Freedom of Expression Index was 0.586 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)

0.586

Change on year

down 1.2%

World rank

108th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.659

in 2019

All-time low

0.096

in 1942

Years of data

126

1900–2025

Freedom of Expression Index in Malaysia, 1900–2025

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for freedom of expression index in Malaysia is 0.586, measured in 2025.

That represents a change of down 1.2% on the previous year and up 86.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, freedom of expression index in Malaysia peaked at 0.659 in 2019 and was at its lowest, 0.096, in 1942.

Malaysia ranks 108th 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.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1900s	0.145	0.145	0.145	10
1910s	0.145	0.145	0.145	10
1920s	0.145	0.145	0.145	10
1930s	0.145	0.145	0.145	10
1940s	0.129	0.096	0.17	10
1950s	0.1961	0.156	0.269	10
1960s	0.2688	0.267	0.269	10
1970s	0.2452	0.24	0.25	10
1980s	0.2122	0.172	0.24	10
1990s	0.1746	0.172	0.198	10
2000s	0.3007	0.229	0.337	10
2010s	0.385	0.315	0.659	10
2020s	0.5877	0.552	0.622	6

Countries ranked near Malaysia

105 Central African Republic 0.613 compare
106 Democratic Republic of Congo 0.599 compare
107 Thailand 0.587 compare
109 Morocco 0.579 compare
109 Togo 0.579 compare
111 Iraq 0.571 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Malaysia

Political Rights Rating 4 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 150,164 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 2,477 (2025)
Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
Varieties of democracy 0.504 (2025)
Liberal Democracy Index 0.355 (2025)
Human Rights Index 0.739 (2025)
Participatory Democracy Index 0.303 (2025)
Key features of human rights 0.739 (2025)
Key features of electoral democracy 0.504 (2025)

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is freedom of expression index in Malaysia?: Freedom of expression index in Malaysia was 0.586 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest freedom of expression index recorded in Malaysia?: The highest recorded value was 0.659 in 2019.
What is the lowest freedom of expression index recorded in Malaysia?: The lowest recorded value was 0.096 in 1942.
How does Malaysia rank for freedom of expression index?: Malaysia ranks 108th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Malaysia?: Over the last ten years it is up 86.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Malaysia 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.