What is freedom of expression index in Nepal?

Freedom of expression index in Nepal was 0.813 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

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

The highest recorded value was 0.912 in 2009.

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

The lowest recorded value was 0.022 in 1846.

How does Nepal rank for freedom of expression index?

Nepal ranks 59th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Nepal?

Over the last ten years it is down 5.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Nepal 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 Nepal

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

Nepal: Freedom of Expression Index was 0.813 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)

0.813

Change on year

down 2.3%

World rank

59th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.912

in 2009

All-time low

0.022

in 1846

Years of data

237

1789–2025

Freedom of Expression Index in Nepal, 1789–2025

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

Analysis

Nepal recorded 0.813 for freedom of expression index in 2025.

The figure is down 2.3% on the previous year and down 5.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, freedom of expression index in Nepal peaked at 0.912 in 2009 and was at its lowest, 0.022, in 1846.

That places Nepal 59th out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it 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 Nepal, year by year

Annual values for Freedom of Expression Index in Nepal, 1789 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1789	0.029	—
1790	0.029	+0.0%
1791	0.029	+0.0%
1792	0.029	+0.0%
1793	0.029	+0.0%
1794	0.029	+0.0%
1795	0.029	+0.0%
1796	0.029	+0.0%
1797	0.029	+0.0%
1798	0.029	+0.0%
1799	0.029	+0.0%
1800	0.029	+0.0%
1801	0.029	+0.0%
1802	0.029	+0.0%
1803	0.029	+0.0%
1804	0.029	+0.0%
1805	0.029	+0.0%
1806	0.029	+0.0%
1807	0.029	+0.0%
1808	0.029	+0.0%
1809	0.029	+0.0%
1810	0.029	+0.0%
1811	0.029	+0.0%
1812	0.029	+0.0%
1813	0.029	+0.0%
1814	0.029	+0.0%
1815	0.029	+0.0%
1816	0.029	+0.0%
1817	0.029	+0.0%
1818	0.029	+0.0%
1819	0.029	+0.0%
1820	0.029	+0.0%
1821	0.029	+0.0%
1822	0.029	+0.0%
1823	0.029	+0.0%
1824	0.029	+0.0%
1825	0.029	+0.0%
1826	0.029	+0.0%
1827	0.029	+0.0%
1828	0.029	+0.0%
1829	0.029	+0.0%
1830	0.029	+0.0%
1831	0.029	+0.0%
1832	0.029	+0.0%
1833	0.029	+0.0%
1834	0.029	+0.0%
1835	0.029	+0.0%
1836	0.029	+0.0%
1837	0.029	+0.0%
1838	0.029	+0.0%
1839	0.029	+0.0%
1840	0.029	+0.0%
1841	0.029	+0.0%
1842	0.029	+0.0%
1843	0.029	+0.0%
1844	0.029	+0.0%
1845	0.029	+0.0%
1846	0.022	-24.1%
1847	0.022	+0.0%
1848	0.022	+0.0%
1849	0.022	+0.0%
1850	0.022	+0.0%
1851	0.022	+0.0%
1852	0.022	+0.0%
1853	0.022	+0.0%
1854	0.022	+0.0%
1855	0.022	+0.0%
1856	0.022	+0.0%
1857	0.022	+0.0%
1858	0.022	+0.0%
1859	0.022	+0.0%
1860	0.022	+0.0%
1861	0.022	+0.0%
1862	0.022	+0.0%
1863	0.022	+0.0%
1864	0.022	+0.0%
1865	0.022	+0.0%
1866	0.022	+0.0%
1867	0.022	+0.0%
1868	0.022	+0.0%
1869	0.022	+0.0%
1870	0.022	+0.0%
1871	0.022	+0.0%
1872	0.022	+0.0%
1873	0.022	+0.0%
1874	0.022	+0.0%
1875	0.022	+0.0%
1876	0.022	+0.0%
1877	0.022	+0.0%
1878	0.022	+0.0%
1879	0.022	+0.0%
1880	0.022	+0.0%
1881	0.022	+0.0%
1882	0.022	+0.0%
1883	0.022	+0.0%
1884	0.022	+0.0%
1885	0.022	+0.0%
1886	0.022	+0.0%
1887	0.022	+0.0%
1888	0.022	+0.0%
1889	0.022	+0.0%
1890	0.022	+0.0%
1891	0.022	+0.0%
1892	0.022	+0.0%
1893	0.022	+0.0%
1894	0.022	+0.0%
1895	0.022	+0.0%
1896	0.022	+0.0%
1897	0.022	+0.0%
1898	0.022	+0.0%
1899	0.022	+0.0%
1900	0.027	+22.7%
1901	0.027	+0.0%
1902	0.027	+0.0%
1903	0.027	+0.0%
1904	0.027	+0.0%
1905	0.027	+0.0%
1906	0.027	+0.0%
1907	0.027	+0.0%
1908	0.027	+0.0%
1909	0.027	+0.0%
1910	0.027	+0.0%
1911	0.027	+0.0%
1912	0.027	+0.0%
1913	0.027	+0.0%
1914	0.027	+0.0%
1915	0.027	+0.0%
1916	0.027	+0.0%
1917	0.027	+0.0%
1918	0.027	+0.0%
1919	0.027	+0.0%
1920	0.027	+0.0%
1921	0.027	+0.0%
1922	0.027	+0.0%
1923	0.027	+0.0%
1924	0.027	+0.0%
1925	0.027	+0.0%
1926	0.027	+0.0%
1927	0.027	+0.0%
1928	0.027	+0.0%
1929	0.027	+0.0%
1930	0.027	+0.0%
1931	0.027	+0.0%
1932	0.034	+25.9%
1933	0.028	-17.6%
1934	0.028	+0.0%
1935	0.028	+0.0%
1936	0.028	+0.0%
1937	0.028	+0.0%
1938	0.028	+0.0%
1939	0.028	+0.0%
1940	0.03	+7.1%
1941	0.03	+0.0%
1942	0.03	+0.0%
1943	0.03	+0.0%
1944	0.03	+0.0%
1945	0.052	+73.3%
1946	0.058	+11.5%
1947	0.058	+0.0%
1948	0.058	+0.0%
1949	0.058	+0.0%
1950	0.097	+67.2%
1951	0.216	+122.7%
1952	0.246	+13.9%
1953	0.246	+0.0%
1954	0.246	+0.0%
1955	0.246	+0.0%
1956	0.246	+0.0%
1957	0.246	+0.0%
1958	0.246	+0.0%
1959	0.25	+1.6%
1960	0.272	+8.8%
1961	0.202	-25.7%
1962	0.176	-12.9%
1963	0.181	+2.8%
1964	0.181	+0.0%
1965	0.181	+0.0%
1966	0.181	+0.0%
1967	0.181	+0.0%
1968	0.181	+0.0%
1969	0.181	+0.0%
1970	0.181	+0.0%
1971	0.185	+2.2%
1972	0.185	+0.0%
1973	0.185	+0.0%
1974	0.185	+0.0%
1975	0.185	+0.0%
1976	0.185	+0.0%
1977	0.185	+0.0%
1978	0.185	+0.0%
1979	0.185	+0.0%
1980	0.22	+18.9%
1981	0.235	+6.8%
1982	0.25	+6.4%
1983	0.25	+0.0%
1984	0.25	+0.0%
1985	0.25	+0.0%
1986	0.25	+0.0%
1987	0.25	+0.0%
1988	0.25	+0.0%
1989	0.25	+0.0%
1990	0.777	+210.8%
1991	0.873	+12.4%
1992	0.873	+0.0%
1993	0.873	+0.0%
1994	0.873	+0.0%
1995	0.869	-0.5%
1996	0.831	-4.4%
1997	0.831	+0.0%
1998	0.828	-0.4%
1999	0.828	+0.0%
2000	0.773	-6.6%
2001	0.77	-0.4%
2002	0.685	-11.0%
2003	0.682	-0.4%
2004	0.682	+0.0%
2005	0.657	-3.7%
2006	0.718	+9.3%
2007	0.884	+23.1%
2008	0.891	+0.8%
2009	0.912	+2.4%
2010	0.909	-0.3%
2011	0.909	+0.0%
2012	0.907	-0.2%
2013	0.854	-5.8%
2014	0.857	+0.4%
2015	0.859	+0.2%
2016	0.883	+2.8%
2017	0.875	-0.9%
2018	0.858	-1.9%
2019	0.811	-5.5%
2020	0.821	+1.2%
2021	0.809	-1.5%
2022	0.837	+3.5%
2023	0.835	-0.2%
2024	0.832	-0.4%
2025	0.813	-2.3%

Nepal compared with similar countries

Nepal's 0.813 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.579, 1.4× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Nepal's 0.813 is above the median for South Asia, which is 0.6885, 1.2× the median. (6 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1780s	0.029	0.029	0.029	1
1790s	0.029	0.029	0.029	10
1800s	0.029	0.029	0.029	10
1810s	0.029	0.029	0.029	10
1820s	0.029	0.029	0.029	10
1830s	0.029	0.029	0.029	10
1840s	0.0262	0.022	0.029	10
1850s	0.022	0.022	0.022	10
1860s	0.022	0.022	0.022	10
1870s	0.022	0.022	0.022	10
1880s	0.022	0.022	0.022	10
1890s	0.022	0.022	0.022	10
1900s	0.027	0.027	0.027	10
1910s	0.027	0.027	0.027	10
1920s	0.027	0.027	0.027	10
1930s	0.0284	0.027	0.034	10
1940s	0.0434	0.03	0.058	10
1950s	0.2285	0.097	0.25	10
1960s	0.1917	0.176	0.272	10
1970s	0.1846	0.181	0.185	10
1980s	0.2455	0.22	0.25	10
1990s	0.8456	0.777	0.873	10
2000s	0.7654	0.657	0.912	10
2010s	0.8722	0.811	0.909	10
2020s	0.8245	0.809	0.837	6

Countries ranked near Nepal

56 Israel 0.822 compare
57 Senegal 0.82 compare
58 Gambia 0.814 compare
60 Cyprus 0.812 compare
60 Panama 0.812 compare
62 Colombia 0.81 compare
62 Greece 0.81 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Nepal

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 19,613 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 8,019 (2025)
Political Rights Rating 3 (2025)
Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 3 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0003 units per person (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 8,019 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0007 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 Nepal →

Frequently asked questions

What is freedom of expression index in Nepal?: Freedom of expression index in Nepal was 0.813 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest freedom of expression index recorded in Nepal?: The highest recorded value was 0.912 in 2009.
What is the lowest freedom of expression index recorded in Nepal?: The lowest recorded value was 0.022 in 1846.
How does Nepal rank for freedom of expression index?: Nepal ranks 59th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Nepal?: Over the last ten years it is down 5.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Nepal 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 Nepal. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 07 November 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/freedom-of-expression-index/nepal/

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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.