What is freedom of expression index in New Zealand?

Freedom of expression index in New Zealand was 0.927 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest freedom of expression index recorded in New Zealand?

The highest recorded value was 0.958 in 1985.

What is the lowest freedom of expression index recorded in New Zealand?

The lowest recorded value was 0.822 in 1940.

How does New Zealand rank for freedom of expression index?

New Zealand ranks 16th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in New Zealand?

Over the last ten years it is down 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Where does this New Zealand 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 New Zealand

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

New Zealand: Freedom of Expression Index was 0.927 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)

0.927

Change on year

down 2.4%

World rank

16th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.958

in 1985

All-time low

0.822

in 1940

Years of data

173

1853–2025

Freedom of Expression Index in New Zealand, 1853–2025

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

Analysis

New Zealand recorded 0.927 for freedom of expression index in 2025.

The figure is down 2.4% on the previous year and down 1.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, freedom of expression index in New Zealand peaked at 0.958 in 1985 and was at its lowest, 0.822, in 1940.

New Zealand ranks 16th of 176 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 173 years of available data.

Freedom of Expression Index in New Zealand, year by year

Annual values for Freedom of Expression Index in New Zealand, 1853 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1853	0.842	—
1854	0.842	+0.0%
1855	0.842	+0.0%
1856	0.842	+0.0%
1857	0.842	+0.0%
1858	0.842	+0.0%
1859	0.842	+0.0%
1860	0.842	+0.0%
1861	0.842	+0.0%
1862	0.842	+0.0%
1863	0.842	+0.0%
1864	0.842	+0.0%
1865	0.842	+0.0%
1866	0.842	+0.0%
1867	0.842	+0.0%
1868	0.842	+0.0%
1869	0.842	+0.0%
1870	0.842	+0.0%
1871	0.842	+0.0%
1872	0.842	+0.0%
1873	0.842	+0.0%
1874	0.842	+0.0%
1875	0.842	+0.0%
1876	0.842	+0.0%
1877	0.842	+0.0%
1878	0.842	+0.0%
1879	0.842	+0.0%
1880	0.842	+0.0%
1881	0.842	+0.0%
1882	0.842	+0.0%
1883	0.842	+0.0%
1884	0.842	+0.0%
1885	0.842	+0.0%
1886	0.842	+0.0%
1887	0.842	+0.0%
1888	0.842	+0.0%
1889	0.842	+0.0%
1890	0.842	+0.0%
1891	0.842	+0.0%
1892	0.842	+0.0%
1893	0.842	+0.0%
1894	0.842	+0.0%
1895	0.842	+0.0%
1896	0.842	+0.0%
1897	0.842	+0.0%
1898	0.842	+0.0%
1899	0.842	+0.0%
1900	0.862	+2.4%
1901	0.883	+2.4%
1902	0.883	+0.0%
1903	0.883	+0.0%
1904	0.883	+0.0%
1905	0.883	+0.0%
1906	0.883	+0.0%
1907	0.883	+0.0%
1908	0.883	+0.0%
1909	0.883	+0.0%
1910	0.883	+0.0%
1911	0.883	+0.0%
1912	0.846	-4.2%
1913	0.854	+0.9%
1914	0.838	-1.9%
1915	0.825	-1.6%
1916	0.835	+1.2%
1917	0.825	-1.2%
1918	0.825	+0.0%
1919	0.866	+5.0%
1920	0.88	+1.6%
1921	0.873	-0.8%
1922	0.879	+0.7%
1923	0.879	+0.0%
1924	0.879	+0.0%
1925	0.879	+0.0%
1926	0.879	+0.0%
1927	0.879	+0.0%
1928	0.879	+0.0%
1929	0.879	+0.0%
1930	0.893	+1.6%
1931	0.893	+0.0%
1932	0.867	-2.9%
1933	0.889	+2.5%
1934	0.889	+0.0%
1935	0.866	-2.6%
1936	0.844	-2.5%
1937	0.844	+0.0%
1938	0.844	+0.0%
1939	0.83	-1.7%
1940	0.822	-1.0%
1941	0.822	+0.0%
1942	0.822	+0.0%
1943	0.822	+0.0%
1944	0.822	+0.0%
1945	0.822	+0.0%
1946	0.849	+3.3%
1947	0.857	+0.9%
1948	0.857	+0.0%
1949	0.857	+0.0%
1950	0.857	+0.0%
1951	0.824	-3.9%
1952	0.854	+3.6%
1953	0.854	+0.0%
1954	0.863	+1.1%
1955	0.87	+0.8%
1956	0.87	+0.0%
1957	0.87	+0.0%
1958	0.87	+0.0%
1959	0.87	+0.0%
1960	0.884	+1.6%
1961	0.884	+0.0%
1962	0.889	+0.6%
1963	0.898	+1.0%
1964	0.898	+0.0%
1965	0.898	+0.0%
1966	0.898	+0.0%
1967	0.898	+0.0%
1968	0.898	+0.0%
1969	0.898	+0.0%
1970	0.926	+3.1%
1971	0.926	+0.0%
1972	0.926	+0.0%
1973	0.925	-0.1%
1974	0.935	+1.1%
1975	0.935	+0.0%
1976	0.935	+0.0%
1977	0.935	+0.0%
1978	0.941	+0.6%
1979	0.941	+0.0%
1980	0.948	+0.7%
1981	0.944	-0.4%
1982	0.941	-0.3%
1983	0.945	+0.4%
1984	0.956	+1.2%
1985	0.958	+0.2%
1986	0.958	+0.0%
1987	0.958	+0.0%
1988	0.958	+0.0%
1989	0.958	+0.0%
1990	0.958	+0.0%
1991	0.958	+0.0%
1992	0.958	+0.0%
1993	0.958	+0.0%
1994	0.958	+0.0%
1995	0.958	+0.0%
1996	0.958	+0.0%
1997	0.958	+0.0%
1998	0.958	+0.0%
1999	0.958	+0.0%
2000	0.958	+0.0%
2001	0.958	+0.0%
2002	0.958	+0.0%
2003	0.958	+0.0%
2004	0.958	+0.0%
2005	0.958	+0.0%
2006	0.958	+0.0%
2007	0.958	+0.0%
2008	0.958	+0.0%
2009	0.958	+0.0%
2010	0.956	-0.2%
2011	0.954	-0.2%
2012	0.954	+0.0%
2013	0.942	-1.3%
2014	0.942	+0.0%
2015	0.942	+0.0%
2016	0.942	+0.0%
2017	0.939	-0.3%
2018	0.953	+1.5%
2019	0.95	-0.3%
2020	0.945	-0.5%
2021	0.93	-1.6%
2022	0.937	+0.8%
2023	0.943	+0.6%
2024	0.95	+0.7%
2025	0.927	-2.4%

New Zealand compared with similar countries

New Zealand's 0.927 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.874, 1.1× the median. (55 countries reporting)
New Zealand's 0.927 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.682, 1.4× the median. (22 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1850s	0.842	0.842	0.842	7
1860s	0.842	0.842	0.842	10
1870s	0.842	0.842	0.842	10
1880s	0.842	0.842	0.842	10
1890s	0.842	0.842	0.842	10
1900s	0.8809	0.862	0.883	10
1910s	0.848	0.825	0.883	10
1920s	0.8785	0.873	0.88	10
1930s	0.8659	0.83	0.893	10
1940s	0.8352	0.822	0.857	10
1950s	0.8602	0.824	0.87	10
1960s	0.8943	0.884	0.898	10
1970s	0.9325	0.925	0.941	10
1980s	0.9524	0.941	0.958	10
1990s	0.958	0.958	0.958	10
2000s	0.958	0.958	0.958	10
2010s	0.9474	0.939	0.956	10
2020s	0.9387	0.927	0.95	6

Countries ranked near New Zealand

14 Latvia 0.932 compare
15 Uruguay 0.931 compare
17 Chile 0.926 compare
18 Jamaica 0.919 compare
19 Austria 0.918 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for New Zealand

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2,148 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 58 (2025)
Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 1 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 58 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0004 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 New Zealand →

Frequently asked questions

What is freedom of expression index in New Zealand?: Freedom of expression index in New Zealand was 0.927 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest freedom of expression index recorded in New Zealand?: The highest recorded value was 0.958 in 1985.
What is the lowest freedom of expression index recorded in New Zealand?: The lowest recorded value was 0.822 in 1940.
How does New Zealand rank for freedom of expression index?: New Zealand ranks 16th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in New Zealand?: Over the last ten years it is down 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this New Zealand 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 New Zealand. 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/new-zealand/

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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.