What is freedom of expression index in Nigeria?

Freedom of expression index in Nigeria was 0.849 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

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

The highest recorded value was 0.905 in 2014.

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

The lowest recorded value was 0.502 in 1920.

How does Nigeria rank for freedom of expression index?

Nigeria ranks 41st out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Nigeria?

Over the last ten years it is down 4.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Where does this Nigeria 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 Nigeria

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

Nigeria: Freedom of Expression Index was 0.849 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)

0.849

Change on year

down 4.9%

World rank

41st

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.905

in 2014

All-time low

0.502

in 1920

Years of data

112

1914–2025

Freedom of Expression Index in Nigeria, 1914–2025

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

Analysis

Nigeria recorded 0.849 for freedom of expression index in 2025.

That represents a change of down 4.9% on the previous year and down 4.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, freedom of expression index in Nigeria peaked at 0.905 in 2014 and was at its lowest, 0.502, in 1920.

That places Nigeria 41st out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 112 years of available data.

Freedom of Expression Index in Nigeria, year by year

Annual values for Freedom of Expression Index in Nigeria, 1914 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1914	0.537	—
1915	0.537	+0.0%
1916	0.537	+0.0%
1917	0.537	+0.0%
1918	0.537	+0.0%
1919	0.524	-2.4%
1920	0.502	-4.2%
1921	0.502	+0.0%
1922	0.502	+0.0%
1923	0.502	+0.0%
1924	0.502	+0.0%
1925	0.502	+0.0%
1926	0.502	+0.0%
1927	0.502	+0.0%
1928	0.502	+0.0%
1929	0.502	+0.0%
1930	0.502	+0.0%
1931	0.502	+0.0%
1932	0.502	+0.0%
1933	0.502	+0.0%
1934	0.513	+2.2%
1935	0.513	+0.0%
1936	0.513	+0.0%
1937	0.513	+0.0%
1938	0.513	+0.0%
1939	0.513	+0.0%
1940	0.513	+0.0%
1941	0.513	+0.0%
1942	0.513	+0.0%
1943	0.513	+0.0%
1944	0.513	+0.0%
1945	0.534	+4.1%
1946	0.549	+2.8%
1947	0.559	+1.8%
1948	0.559	+0.0%
1949	0.559	+0.0%
1950	0.559	+0.0%
1951	0.559	+0.0%
1952	0.535	-4.3%
1953	0.535	+0.0%
1954	0.535	+0.0%
1955	0.544	+1.7%
1956	0.544	+0.0%
1957	0.544	+0.0%
1958	0.555	+2.0%
1959	0.555	+0.0%
1960	0.665	+19.8%
1961	0.689	+3.6%
1962	0.689	+0.0%
1963	0.689	+0.0%
1964	0.689	+0.0%
1965	0.677	-1.7%
1966	0.682	+0.7%
1967	0.639	-6.3%
1968	0.639	+0.0%
1969	0.639	+0.0%
1970	0.639	+0.0%
1971	0.639	+0.0%
1972	0.648	+1.4%
1973	0.635	-2.0%
1974	0.635	+0.0%
1975	0.649	+2.2%
1976	0.649	+0.0%
1977	0.657	+1.2%
1978	0.665	+1.2%
1979	0.728	+9.5%
1980	0.728	+0.0%
1981	0.728	+0.0%
1982	0.728	+0.0%
1983	0.679	-6.7%
1984	0.575	-15.3%
1985	0.595	+3.5%
1986	0.595	+0.0%
1987	0.595	+0.0%
1988	0.595	+0.0%
1989	0.595	+0.0%
1990	0.609	+2.4%
1991	0.609	+0.0%
1992	0.609	+0.0%
1993	0.609	+0.0%
1994	0.609	+0.0%
1995	0.582	-4.4%
1996	0.582	+0.0%
1997	0.582	+0.0%
1998	0.654	+12.4%
1999	0.855	+30.7%
2000	0.855	+0.0%
2001	0.855	+0.0%
2002	0.855	+0.0%
2003	0.855	+0.0%
2004	0.855	+0.0%
2005	0.855	+0.0%
2006	0.861	+0.7%
2007	0.866	+0.6%
2008	0.868	+0.2%
2009	0.872	+0.5%
2010	0.889	+1.9%
2011	0.891	+0.2%
2012	0.901	+1.1%
2013	0.893	-0.9%
2014	0.905	+1.3%
2015	0.89	-1.7%
2016	0.902	+1.3%
2017	0.893	-1.0%
2018	0.888	-0.6%
2019	0.869	-2.1%
2020	0.879	+1.2%
2021	0.868	-1.3%
2022	0.845	-2.6%
2023	0.892	+5.6%
2024	0.893	+0.1%
2025	0.849	-4.9%

Nigeria compared with similar countries

Nigeria's 0.849 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.579, 1.5× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Nigeria's 0.849 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.616, 1.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1910s	0.5348	0.524	0.537	6
1920s	0.502	0.502	0.502	10
1930s	0.5086	0.502	0.513	10
1940s	0.5325	0.513	0.559	10
1950s	0.5465	0.535	0.559	10
1960s	0.6697	0.639	0.689	10
1970s	0.6544	0.635	0.728	10
1980s	0.6413	0.575	0.728	10
1990s	0.63	0.582	0.855	10
2000s	0.8597	0.855	0.872	10
2010s	0.8921	0.869	0.905	10
2020s	0.871	0.845	0.893	6

Countries ranked near Nigeria

38 Namibia 0.859 compare
39 Cape Verde 0.857 compare
40 Montenegro 0.853 compare
42 Vanuatu 0.848 compare
43 Japan 0.847 compare
44 Iceland 0.846 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Nigeria

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 123,848 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 478,150 (2025)
Political Rights Rating 4 (2025)
Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 4 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.002 units per person (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 478,150 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0005 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 Nigeria →

Frequently asked questions

What is freedom of expression index in Nigeria?: Freedom of expression index in Nigeria was 0.849 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest freedom of expression index recorded in Nigeria?: The highest recorded value was 0.905 in 2014.
What is the lowest freedom of expression index recorded in Nigeria?: The lowest recorded value was 0.502 in 1920.
How does Nigeria rank for freedom of expression index?: Nigeria ranks 41st out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Nigeria?: Over the last ten years it is down 4.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Nigeria 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 Nigeria. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 24 September 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/freedom-of-expression-index/nigeria/

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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: 18 September 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.