What is freedom of expression index in Switzerland?

Freedom of expression index in Switzerland was 0.967 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

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

The highest recorded value was 0.978 in 1991.

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

The lowest recorded value was 0.602 in 1798.

How does Switzerland rank for freedom of expression index?

Switzerland ranks 5th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Switzerland?

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

Where does this Switzerland 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 Switzerland

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

Switzerland: Freedom of Expression Index was 0.967 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)

0.967

Change on year

unchanged

World rank

5th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.978

in 1991

All-time low

0.602

in 1798

Years of data

228

1798–2025

Freedom of Expression Index in Switzerland, 1798–2025

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

Analysis

In 2025, freedom of expression index in Switzerland stood at 0.967.

The figure is down 1.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, freedom of expression index in Switzerland peaked at 0.978 in 1991 and was at its lowest, 0.602, in 1798.

That places Switzerland 5th out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 228 years of available data.

Freedom of Expression Index in Switzerland, year by year

Annual values for Freedom of Expression Index in Switzerland, 1798 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1798	0.602	—
1799	0.602	+0.0%
1800	0.602	+0.0%
1801	0.602	+0.0%
1802	0.602	+0.0%
1803	0.602	+0.0%
1804	0.602	+0.0%
1805	0.602	+0.0%
1806	0.602	+0.0%
1807	0.602	+0.0%
1808	0.602	+0.0%
1809	0.602	+0.0%
1810	0.602	+0.0%
1811	0.602	+0.0%
1812	0.602	+0.0%
1813	0.602	+0.0%
1814	0.602	+0.0%
1815	0.602	+0.0%
1816	0.602	+0.0%
1817	0.602	+0.0%
1818	0.602	+0.0%
1819	0.602	+0.0%
1820	0.602	+0.0%
1821	0.602	+0.0%
1822	0.602	+0.0%
1823	0.602	+0.0%
1824	0.602	+0.0%
1825	0.602	+0.0%
1826	0.602	+0.0%
1827	0.602	+0.0%
1828	0.602	+0.0%
1829	0.602	+0.0%
1830	0.602	+0.0%
1831	0.813	+35.0%
1832	0.813	+0.0%
1833	0.813	+0.0%
1834	0.813	+0.0%
1835	0.813	+0.0%
1836	0.813	+0.0%
1837	0.813	+0.0%
1838	0.813	+0.0%
1839	0.813	+0.0%
1840	0.813	+0.0%
1841	0.813	+0.0%
1842	0.813	+0.0%
1843	0.813	+0.0%
1844	0.813	+0.0%
1845	0.813	+0.0%
1846	0.813	+0.0%
1847	0.813	+0.0%
1848	0.813	+0.0%
1849	0.925	+13.8%
1850	0.925	+0.0%
1851	0.925	+0.0%
1852	0.925	+0.0%
1853	0.925	+0.0%
1854	0.925	+0.0%
1855	0.925	+0.0%
1856	0.925	+0.0%
1857	0.925	+0.0%
1858	0.925	+0.0%
1859	0.925	+0.0%
1860	0.925	+0.0%
1861	0.925	+0.0%
1862	0.925	+0.0%
1863	0.925	+0.0%
1864	0.925	+0.0%
1865	0.925	+0.0%
1866	0.925	+0.0%
1867	0.925	+0.0%
1868	0.925	+0.0%
1869	0.925	+0.0%
1870	0.925	+0.0%
1871	0.925	+0.0%
1872	0.925	+0.0%
1873	0.925	+0.0%
1874	0.925	+0.0%
1875	0.925	+0.0%
1876	0.925	+0.0%
1877	0.925	+0.0%
1878	0.925	+0.0%
1879	0.925	+0.0%
1880	0.925	+0.0%
1881	0.925	+0.0%
1882	0.925	+0.0%
1883	0.925	+0.0%
1884	0.925	+0.0%
1885	0.925	+0.0%
1886	0.925	+0.0%
1887	0.925	+0.0%
1888	0.925	+0.0%
1889	0.925	+0.0%
1890	0.925	+0.0%
1891	0.925	+0.0%
1892	0.925	+0.0%
1893	0.925	+0.0%
1894	0.925	+0.0%
1895	0.925	+0.0%
1896	0.925	+0.0%
1897	0.925	+0.0%
1898	0.925	+0.0%
1899	0.925	+0.0%
1900	0.928	+0.3%
1901	0.928	+0.0%
1902	0.928	+0.0%
1903	0.928	+0.0%
1904	0.928	+0.0%
1905	0.928	+0.0%
1906	0.928	+0.0%
1907	0.928	+0.0%
1908	0.928	+0.0%
1909	0.928	+0.0%
1910	0.928	+0.0%
1911	0.928	+0.0%
1912	0.928	+0.0%
1913	0.928	+0.0%
1914	0.928	+0.0%
1915	0.918	-1.1%
1916	0.918	+0.0%
1917	0.918	+0.0%
1918	0.918	+0.0%
1919	0.918	+0.0%
1920	0.917	-0.1%
1921	0.917	+0.0%
1922	0.917	+0.0%
1923	0.917	+0.0%
1924	0.917	+0.0%
1925	0.917	+0.0%
1926	0.917	+0.0%
1927	0.917	+0.0%
1928	0.917	+0.0%
1929	0.917	+0.0%
1930	0.917	+0.0%
1931	0.917	+0.0%
1932	0.917	+0.0%
1933	0.917	+0.0%
1934	0.917	+0.0%
1935	0.917	+0.0%
1936	0.917	+0.0%
1937	0.917	+0.0%
1938	0.917	+0.0%
1939	0.907	-1.1%
1940	0.907	+0.0%
1941	0.907	+0.0%
1942	0.907	+0.0%
1943	0.907	+0.0%
1944	0.907	+0.0%
1945	0.916	+1.0%
1946	0.936	+2.2%
1947	0.936	+0.0%
1948	0.936	+0.0%
1949	0.936	+0.0%
1950	0.936	+0.0%
1951	0.936	+0.0%
1952	0.936	+0.0%
1953	0.936	+0.0%
1954	0.936	+0.0%
1955	0.936	+0.0%
1956	0.936	+0.0%
1957	0.936	+0.0%
1958	0.936	+0.0%
1959	0.936	+0.0%
1960	0.946	+1.1%
1961	0.946	+0.0%
1962	0.946	+0.0%
1963	0.946	+0.0%
1964	0.946	+0.0%
1965	0.946	+0.0%
1966	0.946	+0.0%
1967	0.946	+0.0%
1968	0.946	+0.0%
1969	0.946	+0.0%
1970	0.95	+0.4%
1971	0.95	+0.0%
1972	0.95	+0.0%
1973	0.95	+0.0%
1974	0.95	+0.0%
1975	0.95	+0.0%
1976	0.95	+0.0%
1977	0.95	+0.0%
1978	0.95	+0.0%
1979	0.95	+0.0%
1980	0.95	+0.0%
1981	0.95	+0.0%
1982	0.95	+0.0%
1983	0.95	+0.0%
1984	0.95	+0.0%
1985	0.95	+0.0%
1986	0.95	+0.0%
1987	0.95	+0.0%
1988	0.95	+0.0%
1989	0.955	+0.5%
1990	0.974	+2.0%
1991	0.978	+0.4%
1992	0.978	+0.0%
1993	0.978	+0.0%
1994	0.978	+0.0%
1995	0.978	+0.0%
1996	0.978	+0.0%
1997	0.978	+0.0%
1998	0.978	+0.0%
1999	0.978	+0.0%
2000	0.978	+0.0%
2001	0.978	+0.0%
2002	0.978	+0.0%
2003	0.978	+0.0%
2004	0.978	+0.0%
2005	0.978	+0.0%
2006	0.978	+0.0%
2007	0.978	+0.0%
2008	0.978	+0.0%
2009	0.978	+0.0%
2010	0.978	+0.0%
2011	0.978	+0.0%
2012	0.978	+0.0%
2013	0.978	+0.0%
2014	0.978	+0.0%
2015	0.978	+0.0%
2016	0.978	+0.0%
2017	0.978	+0.0%
2018	0.978	+0.0%
2019	0.978	+0.0%
2020	0.978	+0.0%
2021	0.978	+0.0%
2022	0.972	-0.6%
2023	0.966	-0.6%
2024	0.967	+0.1%
2025	0.967	+0.0%

Switzerland compared with similar countries

Switzerland's 0.967 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.874, 1.1× the median. (55 countries reporting)
Switzerland's 0.967 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.7935, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1790s	0.602	0.602	0.602	2
1800s	0.602	0.602	0.602	10
1810s	0.602	0.602	0.602	10
1820s	0.602	0.602	0.602	10
1830s	0.7919	0.602	0.813	10
1840s	0.8242	0.813	0.925	10
1850s	0.925	0.925	0.925	10
1860s	0.925	0.925	0.925	10
1870s	0.925	0.925	0.925	10
1880s	0.925	0.925	0.925	10
1890s	0.925	0.925	0.925	10
1900s	0.928	0.928	0.928	10
1910s	0.923	0.918	0.928	10
1920s	0.917	0.917	0.917	10
1930s	0.916	0.907	0.917	10
1940s	0.9195	0.907	0.936	10
1950s	0.936	0.936	0.936	10
1960s	0.946	0.946	0.946	10
1970s	0.95	0.95	0.95	10
1980s	0.9505	0.95	0.955	10
1990s	0.9776	0.974	0.978	10
2000s	0.978	0.978	0.978	10
2010s	0.978	0.978	0.978	10
2020s	0.9713	0.966	0.978	6

Countries ranked near Switzerland

2 Ireland 0.97 compare
3 Belgium 0.969 compare
3 Estonia 0.969 compare
6 France 0.959 compare
7 Luxembourg 0.957 compare
8 Norway 0.953 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Switzerland

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 208,287 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 6 (2025)
Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 1 (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 6 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0229 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 Switzerland →

Frequently asked questions

What is freedom of expression index in Switzerland?: Freedom of expression index in Switzerland was 0.967 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest freedom of expression index recorded in Switzerland?: The highest recorded value was 0.978 in 1991.
What is the lowest freedom of expression index recorded in Switzerland?: The lowest recorded value was 0.602 in 1798.
How does Switzerland rank for freedom of expression index?: Switzerland ranks 5th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Switzerland?: Over the last ten years it is down 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Switzerland 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 Switzerland. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 07 November 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/freedom-of-expression-index/switzerland/

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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.