Freedom of expression index in Russia
Russia: Freedom of expression index was 0.08 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
0.08
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
163rd
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.816
in 1992
All-time low
0.012
in 1934
Years of data
237
1789–2025
Freedom of expression index in Russia, 1789–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, freedom of expression index in Russia stood at 0.08.
That represents a change of down 74.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, freedom of expression index in Russia peaked at 0.816 in 1992 and was at its lowest, 0.012, in 1934.
Russia ranks 163rd of 176 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1780s | 0.164 | 0.164 | 0.164 | 1 |
| 1790s | 0.087 | 0.087 | 0.087 | 10 |
| 1800s | 0.087 | 0.087 | 0.087 | 10 |
| 1810s | 0.087 | 0.087 | 0.087 | 10 |
| 1820s | 0.0818 | 0.074 | 0.087 | 10 |
| 1830s | 0.074 | 0.074 | 0.074 | 10 |
| 1840s | 0.071 | 0.059 | 0.074 | 10 |
| 1850s | 0.111 | 0.059 | 0.168 | 10 |
| 1860s | 0.181 | 0.168 | 0.194 | 10 |
| 1870s | 0.1751 | 0.167 | 0.194 | 10 |
| 1880s | 0.1858 | 0.167 | 0.19 | 10 |
| 1890s | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.19 | 10 |
| 1900s | 0.2187 | 0.199 | 0.242 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.1825 | 0.031 | 0.236 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.0243 | 0.018 | 0.032 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.0132 | 0.012 | 0.015 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.0127 | 0.012 | 0.015 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.0212 | 0.012 | 0.03 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.0276 | 0.025 | 0.029 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.0252 | 0.024 | 0.026 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.1196 | 0.025 | 0.369 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.7611 | 0.564 | 0.816 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.4834 | 0.433 | 0.602 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.346 | 0.303 | 0.441 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.162 | 0.08 | 0.288 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Russia
- 160 Vietnam 0.102 compare
- 161 Azerbaijan 0.092 compare
- 161 Saudi Arabia 0.092 compare
- 164 Cuba 0.074 compare
- 165 United Arab Emirates 0.063 compare
- 166 Qatar 0.055 compare
More social development data for Russia
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 11,811 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 99,360 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh 7 (2025)
- Democracy lexical 0 (2025)
- Human rights index vs electoral democracy index 0.265 (2025)
- Liberal democracy index 0.056 (2025)
- Electoral democracy index 0.17 (2025)
- Freedom of association index 0.115 (2025)
- Participatory democracy index 0.124 (2025)
- Varieties democracy vdem 0.17 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is freedom of expression index in Russia?
- Freedom of expression index in Russia was 0.08 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest freedom of expression index recorded in Russia?
- The highest recorded value was 0.816 in 1992.
- What is the lowest freedom of expression index recorded in Russia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.012 in 1934.
- How does Russia rank for freedom of expression index?
- Russia ranks 163rd out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
- Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Russia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 74.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Russia data come from?
- The figures come from 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 — 237 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).