Freedom of Expression Index in Panama

Panama: Freedom of Expression Index was 0.812 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
0.812
Change on year
up 1.0%
Rank
60th
of 176 regions
All-time high
0.857
in 2000
All-time low
0.125
in 1982
Years of data
123
1903–2025

Freedom of Expression Index in Panama, 1903–2025

0.20.40.60.8190319642025

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

Analysis

In 2025, freedom of expression index in Panama stood at 0.812.

That represents a change of up 1.0% on the previous year and down 4.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, freedom of expression index in Panama peaked at 0.857 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 0.125, in 1982.

That places Panama 60th out of 176 regions with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 123 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1900s 0.511 0.511 0.511 7
1910s 0.5109 0.51 0.511 10
1920s 0.51 0.51 0.51 10
1930s 0.5299 0.51 0.534 10
1940s 0.5422 0.528 0.546 10
1950s 0.5536 0.542 0.556 10
1960s 0.4841 0.156 0.569 10
1970s 0.143 0.143 0.143 10
1980s 0.1302 0.125 0.15 10
1990s 0.849 0.839 0.855 10
2000s 0.8544 0.831 0.857 10
2010s 0.8263 0.803 0.853 10
2020s 0.7948 0.776 0.812 6

Countries ranked near Panama

  1. 57 Senegal 0.82 compare
  2. 58 Gambia 0.814 compare
  3. 59 Nepal 0.813 compare
  4. 60 Cyprus 0.812 compare
  5. 62 Colombia 0.81 compare
  6. 62 Greece 0.81 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Panama

All data for Panama →

Frequently asked questions

What is freedom of expression index in Panama?
Freedom of expression index in Panama was 0.812 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest freedom of expression index recorded in Panama?
The highest recorded value was 0.857 in 2000.
What is the lowest freedom of expression index recorded in Panama?
The lowest recorded value was 0.125 in 1982.
How does Panama rank for freedom of expression index?
Panama ranks 60th out of 176 regions with data for 2025.
Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Panama?
Over the last ten years it is down 4.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Panama 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 — 123 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

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.