What is freedom of expression index in Nicaragua?

Freedom of expression index in Nicaragua was 0.018 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

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

The highest recorded value was 0.893 in 1994.

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

The lowest recorded value was 0.018 in 2025.

How does Nicaragua rank for freedom of expression index?

Nicaragua ranks 175th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Nicaragua?

Over the last ten years it is down 96.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Nicaragua 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 Nicaragua

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

Nicaragua: Freedom of Expression Index was 0.018 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)

0.018

Change on year

down 18.2%

World rank

175th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.893

in 1994

All-time low

0.018

in 2025

Years of data

188

1838–2025

Freedom of Expression Index in Nicaragua, 1838–2025

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

Analysis

In 2025, freedom of expression index in Nicaragua stood at 0.018. That is the lowest value across all 188 years on record.

That represents a change of down 18.2% on the previous year and down 96.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, freedom of expression index in Nicaragua peaked at 0.893 in 1994 and was at its lowest, 0.018, in 2025.

That places Nicaragua 175th out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.

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

Freedom of Expression Index in Nicaragua, year by year

Annual values for Freedom of Expression Index in Nicaragua, 1838 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1838	0.04	—
1839	0.04	+0.0%
1840	0.075	+87.5%
1841	0.075	+0.0%
1842	0.075	+0.0%
1843	0.075	+0.0%
1844	0.075	+0.0%
1845	0.063	-16.0%
1846	0.073	+15.9%
1847	0.073	+0.0%
1848	0.073	+0.0%
1849	0.073	+0.0%
1850	0.073	+0.0%
1851	0.064	-12.3%
1852	0.074	+15.6%
1853	0.074	+0.0%
1854	0.064	-13.5%
1855	0.064	+0.0%
1856	0.064	+0.0%
1857	0.064	+0.0%
1858	0.064	+0.0%
1859	0.064	+0.0%
1860	0.483	+654.7%
1861	0.483	+0.0%
1862	0.483	+0.0%
1863	0.483	+0.0%
1864	0.483	+0.0%
1865	0.483	+0.0%
1866	0.483	+0.0%
1867	0.483	+0.0%
1868	0.483	+0.0%
1869	0.483	+0.0%
1870	0.483	+0.0%
1871	0.483	+0.0%
1872	0.483	+0.0%
1873	0.483	+0.0%
1874	0.483	+0.0%
1875	0.483	+0.0%
1876	0.483	+0.0%
1877	0.483	+0.0%
1878	0.483	+0.0%
1879	0.483	+0.0%
1880	0.483	+0.0%
1881	0.483	+0.0%
1882	0.483	+0.0%
1883	0.483	+0.0%
1884	0.483	+0.0%
1885	0.483	+0.0%
1886	0.483	+0.0%
1887	0.483	+0.0%
1888	0.483	+0.0%
1889	0.483	+0.0%
1890	0.448	-7.2%
1891	0.448	+0.0%
1892	0.131	-70.8%
1893	0.197	+50.4%
1894	0.277	+40.6%
1895	0.277	+0.0%
1896	0.277	+0.0%
1897	0.277	+0.0%
1898	0.277	+0.0%
1899	0.277	+0.0%
1900	0.277	+0.0%
1901	0.282	+1.8%
1902	0.282	+0.0%
1903	0.282	+0.0%
1904	0.282	+0.0%
1905	0.282	+0.0%
1906	0.282	+0.0%
1907	0.282	+0.0%
1908	0.282	+0.0%
1909	0.282	+0.0%
1910	0.35	+24.1%
1911	0.35	+0.0%
1912	0.354	+1.1%
1913	0.345	-2.5%
1914	0.345	+0.0%
1915	0.345	+0.0%
1916	0.345	+0.0%
1917	0.337	-2.3%
1918	0.337	+0.0%
1919	0.337	+0.0%
1920	0.344	+2.1%
1921	0.344	+0.0%
1922	0.344	+0.0%
1923	0.344	+0.0%
1924	0.363	+5.5%
1925	0.363	+0.0%
1926	0.363	+0.0%
1927	0.354	-2.5%
1928	0.354	+0.0%
1929	0.354	+0.0%
1930	0.345	-2.5%
1931	0.345	+0.0%
1932	0.345	+0.0%
1933	0.303	-12.2%
1934	0.282	-6.9%
1935	0.272	-3.5%
1936	0.272	+0.0%
1937	0.272	+0.0%
1938	0.272	+0.0%
1939	0.272	+0.0%
1940	0.272	+0.0%
1941	0.272	+0.0%
1942	0.272	+0.0%
1943	0.272	+0.0%
1944	0.272	+0.0%
1945	0.269	-1.1%
1946	0.269	+0.0%
1947	0.269	+0.0%
1948	0.269	+0.0%
1949	0.26	-3.3%
1950	0.26	+0.0%
1951	0.26	+0.0%
1952	0.26	+0.0%
1953	0.26	+0.0%
1954	0.26	+0.0%
1955	0.262	+0.8%
1956	0.262	+0.0%
1957	0.25	-4.6%
1958	0.25	+0.0%
1959	0.236	-5.6%
1960	0.255	+8.1%
1961	0.258	+1.2%
1962	0.265	+2.7%
1963	0.265	+0.0%
1964	0.265	+0.0%
1965	0.265	+0.0%
1966	0.265	+0.0%
1967	0.265	+0.0%
1968	0.265	+0.0%
1969	0.265	+0.0%
1970	0.265	+0.0%
1971	0.265	+0.0%
1972	0.265	+0.0%
1973	0.265	+0.0%
1974	0.265	+0.0%
1975	0.265	+0.0%
1976	0.265	+0.0%
1977	0.242	-8.7%
1978	0.242	+0.0%
1979	0.245	+1.2%
1980	0.502	+104.9%
1981	0.536	+6.8%
1982	0.464	-13.4%
1983	0.464	+0.0%
1984	0.504	+8.6%
1985	0.468	-7.1%
1986	0.468	+0.0%
1987	0.468	+0.0%
1988	0.523	+11.8%
1989	0.523	+0.0%
1990	0.829	+58.5%
1991	0.888	+7.1%
1992	0.892	+0.5%
1993	0.889	-0.3%
1994	0.893	+0.4%
1995	0.888	-0.6%
1996	0.88	-0.9%
1997	0.863	-1.9%
1998	0.863	+0.0%
1999	0.864	+0.1%
2000	0.865	+0.1%
2001	0.865	+0.0%
2002	0.871	+0.7%
2003	0.861	-1.1%
2004	0.861	+0.0%
2005	0.861	+0.0%
2006	0.828	-3.8%
2007	0.674	-18.6%
2008	0.649	-3.7%
2009	0.636	-2.0%
2010	0.626	-1.6%
2011	0.621	-0.8%
2012	0.596	-4.0%
2013	0.516	-13.4%
2014	0.516	+0.0%
2015	0.512	-0.8%
2016	0.508	-0.8%
2017	0.475	-6.5%
2018	0.255	-46.3%
2019	0.237	-7.1%
2020	0.229	-3.4%
2021	0.177	-22.7%
2022	0.043	-75.7%
2023	0.033	-23.3%
2024	0.022	-33.3%
2025	0.018	-18.2%

Nicaragua compared with similar countries

Nicaragua's 0.018 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.579, 3% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Nicaragua's 0.018 is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 0.81, 2% of the median. (25 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1830s	0.04	0.04	0.04	2
1840s	0.073	0.063	0.075	10
1850s	0.0669	0.064	0.074	10
1860s	0.483	0.483	0.483	10
1870s	0.483	0.483	0.483	10
1880s	0.483	0.483	0.483	10
1890s	0.2886	0.131	0.448	10
1900s	0.2815	0.277	0.282	10
1910s	0.3445	0.337	0.354	10
1920s	0.3527	0.344	0.363	10
1930s	0.298	0.272	0.345	10
1940s	0.2696	0.26	0.272	10
1950s	0.256	0.236	0.262	10
1960s	0.2633	0.255	0.265	10
1970s	0.2584	0.242	0.265	10
1980s	0.492	0.464	0.536	10
1990s	0.8749	0.829	0.893	10
2000s	0.7971	0.636	0.871	10
2010s	0.4862	0.237	0.626	10
2020s	0.087	0.018	0.229	6

Countries ranked near Nicaragua

172 Belarus 0.025 compare
173 Eritrea 0.024 compare
174 Afghanistan 0.022 compare
176 North Korea 0.013 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Nicaragua

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 311 (2023)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 35,341 (2025)
Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 7 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.005 units per person (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 35,341 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2023)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)

All data for Nicaragua →

Frequently asked questions

What is freedom of expression index in Nicaragua?: Freedom of expression index in Nicaragua was 0.018 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest freedom of expression index recorded in Nicaragua?: The highest recorded value was 0.893 in 1994.
What is the lowest freedom of expression index recorded in Nicaragua?: The lowest recorded value was 0.018 in 2025.
How does Nicaragua rank for freedom of expression index?: Nicaragua ranks 175th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Nicaragua?: Over the last ten years it is down 96.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Nicaragua 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 Nicaragua. 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/nicaragua/

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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.