What is freedom of expression index in Namibia?

Freedom of expression index in Namibia was 0.859 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

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

The highest recorded value was 0.859 in 2025.

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

The lowest recorded value was 0.089 in 1904.

How does Namibia rank for freedom of expression index?

Namibia ranks 38th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Namibia?

Over the last ten years it is up 2.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Namibia 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 Namibia

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

Namibia: Freedom of Expression Index was 0.859 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)

0.859

Change on year

up 1.8%

World rank

38th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.859

in 2025

All-time low

0.089

in 1904

Years of data

126

1900–2025

Freedom of Expression Index in Namibia, 1900–2025

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

Analysis

In 2025, freedom of expression index in Namibia stood at 0.859. That is the highest value across all 126 years on record.

That represents a change of up 1.8% on the previous year and up 2.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, freedom of expression index in Namibia peaked at 0.859 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.089, in 1904.

That places Namibia 38th out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it 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	0.0928	0.089	0.097	10
1910s	0.0974	0.095	0.101	10
1920s	0.1052	0.101	0.107	10
1930s	0.107	0.107	0.107	10
1940s	0.1058	0.101	0.107	10
1950s	0.101	0.101	0.101	10
1960s	0.104	0.104	0.104	10
1970s	0.1189	0.104	0.144	10
1980s	0.3137	0.267	0.373	10
1990s	0.8317	0.802	0.835	10
2000s	0.825	0.825	0.825	10
2010s	0.8293	0.816	0.845	10
2020s	0.833	0.817	0.859	6

Countries ranked near Namibia

35 Seychelles 0.874 compare
36 Sri Lanka 0.871 compare
37 Honduras 0.861 compare
39 Cape Verde 0.857 compare
40 Montenegro 0.853 compare
41 Nigeria 0.849 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Namibia

Political Rights Rating 3 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 5,470 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 685 (2025)
Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
Varieties of democracy 0.633 (2025)
Liberal Democracy Index 0.519 (2025)
Human Rights Index 0.883 (2025)
Participatory Democracy Index 0.349 (2025)
Key features of human rights 0.883 (2025)
Key features of electoral democracy 0.633 (2025)

All data for Namibia →

Frequently asked questions

What is freedom of expression index in Namibia?: Freedom of expression index in Namibia was 0.859 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest freedom of expression index recorded in Namibia?: The highest recorded value was 0.859 in 2025.
What is the lowest freedom of expression index recorded in Namibia?: The lowest recorded value was 0.089 in 1904.
How does Namibia rank for freedom of expression index?: Namibia ranks 38th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Namibia?: Over the last ten years it is up 2.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Namibia 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.