Freedom of Expression Index in Tanzania
Tanzania: Freedom of Expression Index was 0.552 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Freedom of Expression Index in Tanzania, 1914–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Tanzania recorded 0.552 for freedom of expression index in 2025.
The figure is down 19.2% on the previous year and down 22.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, freedom of expression index in Tanzania peaked at 0.748 in 2011 and was at its lowest, 0.206, in 1917.
That places Tanzania 115th out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 112 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 0.232 | 0.206 | 0.246 | 6 |
| 1920s | 0.2558 | 0.255 | 0.256 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.2634 | 0.255 | 0.297 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.297 | 0.297 | 0.297 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.3382 | 0.297 | 0.345 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.4132 | 0.365 | 0.536 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.3667 | 0.36 | 0.377 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.4083 | 0.377 | 0.446 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.6687 | 0.504 | 0.742 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.7357 | 0.721 | 0.743 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.6889 | 0.589 | 0.748 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.6318 | 0.552 | 0.703 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Tanzania
More social development data for Tanzania
- Political Rights Rating 6 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 171,142 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 1,592 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Varieties of democracy 0.365 (2025)
- Liberal Democracy Index 0.297 (2025)
- Human Rights Index 0.673 (2025)
- Participatory Democracy Index 0.245 (2025)
- Key features of human rights 0.673 (2025)
- Key features of electoral democracy 0.365 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is freedom of expression index in Tanzania?
- Freedom of expression index in Tanzania was 0.552 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest freedom of expression index recorded in Tanzania?
- The highest recorded value was 0.748 in 2011.
- What is the lowest freedom of expression index recorded in Tanzania?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.206 in 1917.
- How does Tanzania rank for freedom of expression index?
- Tanzania ranks 115th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
- Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Tanzania?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Tanzania 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 — 112 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
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.