What is freedom of expression index in Saudi Arabia?

Freedom of expression index in Saudi Arabia was 0.092 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest freedom of expression index recorded in Saudi Arabia?

The highest recorded value was 0.124 in 2011.

What is the lowest freedom of expression index recorded in Saudi Arabia?

The lowest recorded value was 0.037 in 1903.

How does Saudi Arabia rank for freedom of expression index?

Saudi Arabia ranks 161st out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?

Over the last ten years it is up 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Where does this Saudi Arabia 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 Saudi Arabia

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

Saudi Arabia: Freedom of Expression Index was 0.092 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)

0.092

Change on year

up 5.7%

World rank

161st

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.124

in 2011

All-time low

0.037

in 1903

Years of data

237

1789–2025

Freedom of Expression Index in Saudi Arabia, 1789–2025

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

Analysis

Saudi Arabia recorded 0.092 for freedom of expression index in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.7% on the previous year and up 1.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, freedom of expression index in Saudi Arabia peaked at 0.124 in 2011 and was at its lowest, 0.037, in 1903.

That places Saudi Arabia 161st out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 237 years of available data.

Freedom of Expression Index in Saudi Arabia, year by year

Annual values for Freedom of Expression Index in Saudi Arabia, 1789 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1789	0.078	—
1790	0.078	+0.0%
1791	0.078	+0.0%
1792	0.078	+0.0%
1793	0.078	+0.0%
1794	0.078	+0.0%
1795	0.078	+0.0%
1796	0.078	+0.0%
1797	0.078	+0.0%
1798	0.078	+0.0%
1799	0.078	+0.0%
1800	0.078	+0.0%
1801	0.078	+0.0%
1802	0.078	+0.0%
1803	0.078	+0.0%
1804	0.078	+0.0%
1805	0.078	+0.0%
1806	0.078	+0.0%
1807	0.078	+0.0%
1808	0.078	+0.0%
1809	0.078	+0.0%
1810	0.078	+0.0%
1811	0.078	+0.0%
1812	0.078	+0.0%
1813	0.078	+0.0%
1814	0.078	+0.0%
1815	0.078	+0.0%
1816	0.078	+0.0%
1817	0.078	+0.0%
1818	0.078	+0.0%
1819	0.069	-11.5%
1820	0.069	+0.0%
1821	0.069	+0.0%
1822	0.05	-27.5%
1823	0.05	+0.0%
1824	0.05	+0.0%
1825	0.05	+0.0%
1826	0.05	+0.0%
1827	0.05	+0.0%
1828	0.05	+0.0%
1829	0.05	+0.0%
1830	0.05	+0.0%
1831	0.05	+0.0%
1832	0.05	+0.0%
1833	0.05	+0.0%
1834	0.05	+0.0%
1835	0.05	+0.0%
1836	0.05	+0.0%
1837	0.05	+0.0%
1838	0.05	+0.0%
1839	0.05	+0.0%
1840	0.05	+0.0%
1841	0.05	+0.0%
1842	0.05	+0.0%
1843	0.05	+0.0%
1844	0.05	+0.0%
1845	0.05	+0.0%
1846	0.05	+0.0%
1847	0.05	+0.0%
1848	0.05	+0.0%
1849	0.05	+0.0%
1850	0.05	+0.0%
1851	0.05	+0.0%
1852	0.05	+0.0%
1853	0.05	+0.0%
1854	0.05	+0.0%
1855	0.05	+0.0%
1856	0.05	+0.0%
1857	0.05	+0.0%
1858	0.05	+0.0%
1859	0.05	+0.0%
1860	0.05	+0.0%
1861	0.05	+0.0%
1862	0.05	+0.0%
1863	0.05	+0.0%
1864	0.05	+0.0%
1865	0.05	+0.0%
1866	0.05	+0.0%
1867	0.05	+0.0%
1868	0.05	+0.0%
1869	0.05	+0.0%
1870	0.05	+0.0%
1871	0.05	+0.0%
1872	0.05	+0.0%
1873	0.05	+0.0%
1874	0.05	+0.0%
1875	0.05	+0.0%
1876	0.05	+0.0%
1877	0.05	+0.0%
1878	0.05	+0.0%
1879	0.05	+0.0%
1880	0.05	+0.0%
1881	0.05	+0.0%
1882	0.05	+0.0%
1883	0.05	+0.0%
1884	0.05	+0.0%
1885	0.05	+0.0%
1886	0.05	+0.0%
1887	0.05	+0.0%
1888	0.05	+0.0%
1889	0.05	+0.0%
1890	0.05	+0.0%
1891	0.05	+0.0%
1892	0.05	+0.0%
1893	0.05	+0.0%
1894	0.05	+0.0%
1895	0.05	+0.0%
1896	0.05	+0.0%
1897	0.05	+0.0%
1898	0.05	+0.0%
1899	0.05	+0.0%
1900	0.05	+0.0%
1901	0.05	+0.0%
1902	0.05	+0.0%
1903	0.037	-26.0%
1904	0.037	+0.0%
1905	0.037	+0.0%
1906	0.037	+0.0%
1907	0.037	+0.0%
1908	0.037	+0.0%
1909	0.037	+0.0%
1910	0.037	+0.0%
1911	0.037	+0.0%
1912	0.037	+0.0%
1913	0.037	+0.0%
1914	0.037	+0.0%
1915	0.037	+0.0%
1916	0.037	+0.0%
1917	0.037	+0.0%
1918	0.037	+0.0%
1919	0.037	+0.0%
1920	0.037	+0.0%
1921	0.037	+0.0%
1922	0.037	+0.0%
1923	0.037	+0.0%
1924	0.037	+0.0%
1925	0.037	+0.0%
1926	0.037	+0.0%
1927	0.037	+0.0%
1928	0.037	+0.0%
1929	0.037	+0.0%
1930	0.037	+0.0%
1931	0.037	+0.0%
1932	0.038	+2.7%
1933	0.037	-2.6%
1934	0.037	+0.0%
1935	0.037	+0.0%
1936	0.037	+0.0%
1937	0.037	+0.0%
1938	0.037	+0.0%
1939	0.037	+0.0%
1940	0.037	+0.0%
1941	0.037	+0.0%
1942	0.037	+0.0%
1943	0.037	+0.0%
1944	0.037	+0.0%
1945	0.037	+0.0%
1946	0.037	+0.0%
1947	0.037	+0.0%
1948	0.037	+0.0%
1949	0.037	+0.0%
1950	0.037	+0.0%
1951	0.037	+0.0%
1952	0.037	+0.0%
1953	0.048	+29.7%
1954	0.066	+37.5%
1955	0.064	-3.0%
1956	0.069	+7.8%
1957	0.069	+0.0%
1958	0.069	+0.0%
1959	0.069	+0.0%
1960	0.069	+0.0%
1961	0.069	+0.0%
1962	0.069	+0.0%
1963	0.069	+0.0%
1964	0.069	+0.0%
1965	0.069	+0.0%
1966	0.069	+0.0%
1967	0.069	+0.0%
1968	0.069	+0.0%
1969	0.069	+0.0%
1970	0.069	+0.0%
1971	0.069	+0.0%
1972	0.069	+0.0%
1973	0.069	+0.0%
1974	0.077	+11.6%
1975	0.067	-13.0%
1976	0.067	+0.0%
1977	0.067	+0.0%
1978	0.067	+0.0%
1979	0.076	+13.4%
1980	0.076	+0.0%
1981	0.076	+0.0%
1982	0.076	+0.0%
1983	0.076	+0.0%
1984	0.076	+0.0%
1985	0.076	+0.0%
1986	0.076	+0.0%
1987	0.076	+0.0%
1988	0.076	+0.0%
1989	0.076	+0.0%
1990	0.072	-5.3%
1991	0.075	+4.2%
1992	0.075	+0.0%
1993	0.093	+24.0%
1994	0.093	+0.0%
1995	0.092	-1.1%
1996	0.098	+6.5%
1997	0.098	+0.0%
1998	0.098	+0.0%
1999	0.098	+0.0%
2000	0.106	+8.2%
2001	0.108	+1.9%
2002	0.108	+0.0%
2003	0.108	+0.0%
2004	0.108	+0.0%
2005	0.118	+9.3%
2006	0.119	+0.8%
2007	0.119	+0.0%
2008	0.122	+2.5%
2009	0.122	+0.0%
2010	0.123	+0.8%
2011	0.124	+0.8%
2012	0.122	-1.6%
2013	0.111	-9.0%
2014	0.106	-4.5%
2015	0.091	-14.2%
2016	0.093	+2.2%
2017	0.079	-15.1%
2018	0.087	+10.1%
2019	0.087	+0.0%
2020	0.084	-3.4%
2021	0.086	+2.4%
2022	0.087	+1.2%
2023	0.087	+0.0%
2024	0.087	+0.0%
2025	0.092	+5.7%

Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries

Saudi Arabia's 0.092 is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.874, 11% of the median. (55 countries reporting)
Saudi Arabia's 0.092 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 0.367, 25% of the median. (23 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1780s	0.078	0.078	0.078	1
1790s	0.078	0.078	0.078	10
1800s	0.078	0.078	0.078	10
1810s	0.0771	0.069	0.078	10
1820s	0.0538	0.05	0.069	10
1830s	0.05	0.05	0.05	10
1840s	0.05	0.05	0.05	10
1850s	0.05	0.05	0.05	10
1860s	0.05	0.05	0.05	10
1870s	0.05	0.05	0.05	10
1880s	0.05	0.05	0.05	10
1890s	0.05	0.05	0.05	10
1900s	0.0409	0.037	0.05	10
1910s	0.037	0.037	0.037	10
1920s	0.037	0.037	0.037	10
1930s	0.0371	0.037	0.038	10
1940s	0.037	0.037	0.037	10
1950s	0.0565	0.037	0.069	10
1960s	0.069	0.069	0.069	10
1970s	0.0697	0.067	0.077	10
1980s	0.076	0.076	0.076	10
1990s	0.0892	0.072	0.098	10
2000s	0.1138	0.106	0.122	10
2010s	0.1023	0.079	0.124	10
2020s	0.0872	0.084	0.092	6

Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia

158 Eswatini 0.113 compare
159 Equatorial Guinea 0.112 compare
160 Vietnam 0.102 compare
161 Azerbaijan 0.092 compare
163 Russia 0.08 compare
164 Cuba 0.074 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Saudi Arabia

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 448 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2,368 (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 0.0001 units per person (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2,368 (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 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)

All data for Saudi Arabia →

Frequently asked questions

What is freedom of expression index in Saudi Arabia?: Freedom of expression index in Saudi Arabia was 0.092 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest freedom of expression index recorded in Saudi Arabia?: The highest recorded value was 0.124 in 2011.
What is the lowest freedom of expression index recorded in Saudi Arabia?: The lowest recorded value was 0.037 in 1903.
How does Saudi Arabia rank for freedom of expression index?: Saudi Arabia ranks 161st out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?: Over the last ten years it is up 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Saudi Arabia 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 Saudi Arabia. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 08 November 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/freedom-of-expression-index/saudi-arabia/

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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.