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Freedom of Expression Index in South Sudan

South Sudan: Freedom of Expression Index was 0.155 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
0.155
Change on year
down 14.8%
World rank
153rd
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.637
in 1986
All-time low
0.088
in 1821
Years of data
190
1821–2025

Freedom of Expression Index in South Sudan, 1821–2025

00.20.40.6182119232025

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

Analysis

South Sudan recorded 0.155 for freedom of expression index in 2025.

The figure is down 14.8% on the previous year and down 1.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, freedom of expression index in South Sudan peaked at 0.637 in 1986 and was at its lowest, 0.088, in 1821.

That places South Sudan 153rd 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 South Sudan, year by year

Year Value Change
1821 0.088 —
1822 0.088 +0.0%
1823 0.088 +0.0%
1824 0.088 +0.0%
1825 0.088 +0.0%
1826 0.088 +0.0%
1827 0.088 +0.0%
1828 0.088 +0.0%
1829 0.088 +0.0%
1830 0.088 +0.0%
1831 0.088 +0.0%
1832 0.088 +0.0%
1833 0.088 +0.0%
1834 0.088 +0.0%
1835 0.088 +0.0%
1836 0.088 +0.0%
1837 0.088 +0.0%
1838 0.088 +0.0%
1839 0.088 +0.0%
1840 0.088 +0.0%
1841 0.088 +0.0%
1842 0.088 +0.0%
1843 0.088 +0.0%
1844 0.088 +0.0%
1845 0.088 +0.0%
1846 0.088 +0.0%
1847 0.088 +0.0%
1848 0.088 +0.0%
1849 0.088 +0.0%
1850 0.088 +0.0%
1851 0.088 +0.0%
1852 0.088 +0.0%
1853 0.088 +0.0%
1854 0.088 +0.0%
1855 0.088 +0.0%
1856 0.088 +0.0%
1857 0.088 +0.0%
1858 0.088 +0.0%
1859 0.088 +0.0%
1860 0.088 +0.0%
1861 0.088 +0.0%
1862 0.088 +0.0%
1863 0.121 +37.5%
1864 0.121 +0.0%
1865 0.121 +0.0%
1866 0.121 +0.0%
1867 0.121 +0.0%
1868 0.121 +0.0%
1869 0.121 +0.0%
1870 0.121 +0.0%
1871 0.121 +0.0%
1872 0.121 +0.0%
1873 0.121 +0.0%
1874 0.121 +0.0%
1875 0.121 +0.0%
1876 0.121 +0.0%
1877 0.121 +0.0%
1878 0.161 +33.1%
1879 0.37 +129.8%
1880 0.37 +0.0%
1881 0.341 -7.8%
1882 0.341 +0.0%
1883 0.341 +0.0%
1884 0.341 +0.0%
1900 0.307 -10.0%
1901 0.307 +0.0%
1902 0.307 +0.0%
1903 0.307 +0.0%
1904 0.307 +0.0%
1905 0.307 +0.0%
1906 0.307 +0.0%
1907 0.307 +0.0%
1908 0.307 +0.0%
1909 0.307 +0.0%
1910 0.307 +0.0%
1911 0.307 +0.0%
1912 0.307 +0.0%
1913 0.307 +0.0%
1914 0.307 +0.0%
1915 0.307 +0.0%
1916 0.307 +0.0%
1917 0.307 +0.0%
1918 0.307 +0.0%
1919 0.307 +0.0%
1920 0.307 +0.0%
1921 0.314 +2.3%
1922 0.314 +0.0%
1923 0.314 +0.0%
1924 0.314 +0.0%
1925 0.314 +0.0%
1926 0.314 +0.0%
1927 0.318 +1.3%
1928 0.318 +0.0%
1929 0.318 +0.0%
1930 0.318 +0.0%
1931 0.318 +0.0%
1932 0.318 +0.0%
1933 0.318 +0.0%
1934 0.318 +0.0%
1935 0.318 +0.0%
1936 0.318 +0.0%
1937 0.318 +0.0%
1938 0.318 +0.0%
1939 0.318 +0.0%
1940 0.318 +0.0%
1941 0.318 +0.0%
1942 0.318 +0.0%
1943 0.318 +0.0%
1944 0.319 +0.3%
1945 0.319 +0.0%
1946 0.319 +0.0%
1947 0.319 +0.0%
1948 0.319 +0.0%
1949 0.319 +0.0%
1950 0.322 +0.9%
1951 0.322 +0.0%
1952 0.322 +0.0%
1953 0.428 +32.9%
1954 0.437 +2.1%
1955 0.437 +0.0%
1956 0.539 +23.3%
1957 0.524 -2.8%
1958 0.521 -0.6%
1959 0.276 -47.0%
1960 0.242 -12.3%
1961 0.242 +0.0%
1962 0.242 +0.0%
1963 0.236 -2.5%
1964 0.384 +62.7%
1965 0.601 +56.5%
1966 0.601 +0.0%
1967 0.601 +0.0%
1968 0.601 +0.0%
1969 0.182 -69.7%
1970 0.19 +4.4%
1971 0.171 -10.0%
1972 0.143 -16.4%
1973 0.143 +0.0%
1974 0.143 +0.0%
1975 0.143 +0.0%
1976 0.143 +0.0%
1977 0.143 +0.0%
1978 0.161 +12.6%
1979 0.161 +0.0%
1980 0.18 +11.8%
1981 0.18 +0.0%
1982 0.18 +0.0%
1983 0.18 +0.0%
1984 0.218 +21.1%
1985 0.399 +83.0%
1986 0.637 +59.6%
1987 0.637 +0.0%
1988 0.637 +0.0%
1989 0.305 -52.1%
1990 0.122 -60.0%
1991 0.122 +0.0%
1992 0.122 +0.0%
1993 0.122 +0.0%
1994 0.129 +5.7%
1995 0.129 +0.0%
1996 0.129 +0.0%
1997 0.129 +0.0%
1998 0.129 +0.0%
1999 0.129 +0.0%
2000 0.15 +16.3%
2001 0.168 +12.0%
2002 0.165 -1.8%
2003 0.165 +0.0%
2004 0.195 +18.2%
2005 0.211 +8.2%
2006 0.218 +3.3%
2007 0.21 -3.7%
2008 0.216 +2.9%
2009 0.224 +3.7%
2010 0.224 +0.0%
2011 0.32 +42.9%
2012 0.333 +4.1%
2013 0.181 -45.6%
2014 0.157 -13.3%
2015 0.157 +0.0%
2016 0.092 -41.4%
2017 0.126 +37.0%
2018 0.108 -14.3%
2019 0.121 +12.0%
2020 0.157 +29.8%
2021 0.136 -13.4%
2022 0.094 -30.9%
2023 0.153 +62.8%
2024 0.182 +19.0%
2025 0.155 -14.8%

South Sudan compared with similar countries

  • South Sudan's 0.155 is below the median for low income countries, which is 0.432, 36% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
  • South Sudan's 0.155 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.616, 25% of the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1820s 0.088 0.088 0.088 9
1830s 0.088 0.088 0.088 10
1840s 0.088 0.088 0.088 10
1850s 0.088 0.088 0.088 10
1860s 0.1111 0.088 0.121 10
1870s 0.1499 0.121 0.37 10
1880s 0.3468 0.341 0.37 5
1900s 0.307 0.307 0.307 10
1910s 0.307 0.307 0.307 10
1920s 0.3145 0.307 0.318 10
1930s 0.318 0.318 0.318 10
1940s 0.3186 0.318 0.319 10
1950s 0.4128 0.276 0.539 10
1960s 0.3932 0.182 0.601 10
1970s 0.1541 0.143 0.19 10
1980s 0.3553 0.18 0.637 10
1990s 0.1262 0.122 0.129 10
2000s 0.1922 0.15 0.224 10
2010s 0.1819 0.092 0.333 10
2020s 0.1462 0.094 0.182 6

Countries ranked near South Sudan

  1. 150 Rwanda 0.17 compare
  2. 151 Iran 0.166 compare
  3. 152 Burundi 0.164 compare
  4. 154 Cambodia 0.153 compare
  5. 155 Oman 0.151 compare
  6. 156 Venezuela 0.148 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for South Sudan

All data for South Sudan →

Frequently asked questions

What is freedom of expression index in South Sudan?
Freedom of expression index in South Sudan was 0.155 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest freedom of expression index recorded in South Sudan?
The highest recorded value was 0.637 in 1986.
What is the lowest freedom of expression index recorded in South Sudan?
The lowest recorded value was 0.088 in 1821.
How does South Sudan rank for freedom of expression index?
South Sudan ranks 153rd out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in South Sudan?
Over the last ten years it is down 1.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Sudan 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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CSV · JSON — 190 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

Relationships involving this indicator

Comparisons with other indicators across countries. Each was re-measured with population and national income held constant, so a relationship that only reflected country size is not listed here.

All correlations →

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Freedom of Expression Index in South Sudan. 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/south-sudan/

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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

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.