Freedom of Expression Index in Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago: Freedom of Expression Index was 0.888 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
0.888
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
33rd
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.91
in 2021
All-time low
0.233
in 1900
Years of data
126
1900–2025
Freedom of Expression Index in Trinidad and Tobago, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for freedom of expression index in Trinidad and Tobago is 0.888, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 2.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, freedom of expression index in Trinidad and Tobago peaked at 0.91 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 0.233, in 1900.
Trinidad and Tobago ranks 33rd of 176 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 126 years of available data.
Freedom of Expression Index in Trinidad and Tobago, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 0.233 | — |
| 1901 | 0.233 | +0.0% |
| 1902 | 0.233 | +0.0% |
| 1903 | 0.233 | +0.0% |
| 1904 | 0.233 | +0.0% |
| 1905 | 0.233 | +0.0% |
| 1906 | 0.233 | +0.0% |
| 1907 | 0.233 | +0.0% |
| 1908 | 0.233 | +0.0% |
| 1909 | 0.233 | +0.0% |
| 1910 | 0.233 | +0.0% |
| 1911 | 0.233 | +0.0% |
| 1912 | 0.233 | +0.0% |
| 1913 | 0.233 | +0.0% |
| 1914 | 0.233 | +0.0% |
| 1915 | 0.233 | +0.0% |
| 1916 | 0.233 | +0.0% |
| 1917 | 0.244 | +4.7% |
| 1918 | 0.244 | +0.0% |
| 1919 | 0.351 | +43.9% |
| 1920 | 0.351 | +0.0% |
| 1921 | 0.351 | +0.0% |
| 1922 | 0.351 | +0.0% |
| 1923 | 0.351 | +0.0% |
| 1924 | 0.351 | +0.0% |
| 1925 | 0.351 | +0.0% |
| 1926 | 0.351 | +0.0% |
| 1927 | 0.368 | +4.8% |
| 1928 | 0.394 | +7.1% |
| 1929 | 0.394 | +0.0% |
| 1930 | 0.394 | +0.0% |
| 1931 | 0.394 | +0.0% |
| 1932 | 0.394 | +0.0% |
| 1933 | 0.394 | +0.0% |
| 1934 | 0.394 | +0.0% |
| 1935 | 0.394 | +0.0% |
| 1936 | 0.401 | +1.8% |
| 1937 | 0.401 | +0.0% |
| 1938 | 0.401 | +0.0% |
| 1939 | 0.401 | +0.0% |
| 1940 | 0.405 | +1.0% |
| 1941 | 0.405 | +0.0% |
| 1942 | 0.42 | +3.7% |
| 1943 | 0.42 | +0.0% |
| 1944 | 0.42 | +0.0% |
| 1945 | 0.512 | +21.9% |
| 1946 | 0.512 | +0.0% |
| 1947 | 0.512 | +0.0% |
| 1948 | 0.512 | +0.0% |
| 1949 | 0.512 | +0.0% |
| 1950 | 0.512 | +0.0% |
| 1951 | 0.532 | +3.9% |
| 1952 | 0.532 | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 0.532 | +0.0% |
| 1954 | 0.532 | +0.0% |
| 1955 | 0.532 | +0.0% |
| 1956 | 0.532 | +0.0% |
| 1957 | 0.537 | +0.9% |
| 1958 | 0.537 | +0.0% |
| 1959 | 0.537 | +0.0% |
| 1960 | 0.572 | +6.5% |
| 1961 | 0.59 | +3.1% |
| 1962 | 0.689 | +16.8% |
| 1963 | 0.727 | +5.5% |
| 1964 | 0.735 | +1.1% |
| 1965 | 0.735 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 0.735 | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 0.735 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 0.731 | -0.5% |
| 1969 | 0.747 | +2.2% |
| 1970 | 0.745 | -0.3% |
| 1971 | 0.761 | +2.1% |
| 1972 | 0.761 | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 0.768 | +0.9% |
| 1974 | 0.768 | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 0.764 | -0.5% |
| 1976 | 0.764 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 0.779 | +2.0% |
| 1978 | 0.779 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 0.779 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 0.8 | +2.7% |
| 1981 | 0.806 | +0.8% |
| 1982 | 0.784 | -2.7% |
| 1983 | 0.784 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 0.789 | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 0.789 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 0.814 | +3.2% |
| 1987 | 0.832 | +2.2% |
| 1988 | 0.832 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 0.832 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 0.839 | +0.8% |
| 1991 | 0.856 | +2.0% |
| 1992 | 0.863 | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 0.863 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 0.863 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 0.858 | -0.6% |
| 1996 | 0.855 | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 0.855 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 0.855 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 0.855 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 0.874 | +2.2% |
| 2001 | 0.874 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.874 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 0.878 | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 0.878 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.882 | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 0.89 | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 0.884 | -0.7% |
| 2008 | 0.881 | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 0.881 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.887 | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 0.887 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 0.887 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 0.856 | -3.5% |
| 2014 | 0.856 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 0.863 | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 0.859 | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 0.861 | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 0.864 | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 0.873 | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 0.874 | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 0.91 | +4.1% |
| 2022 | 0.9 | -1.1% |
| 2023 | 0.9 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 0.886 | -1.6% |
| 2025 | 0.888 | +0.2% |
Trinidad and Tobago compared with similar countries
- Trinidad and Tobago's 0.888 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.874, 1.0× the median. (55 countries reporting)
- Trinidad and Tobago's 0.888 is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 0.81, 1.1× the median. (25 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0.233 | 0.233 | 0.233 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.247 | 0.233 | 0.351 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.3613 | 0.351 | 0.394 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.3968 | 0.394 | 0.401 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.463 | 0.405 | 0.512 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.5315 | 0.512 | 0.537 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.6996 | 0.572 | 0.747 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.7668 | 0.745 | 0.779 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.8062 | 0.784 | 0.832 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.8562 | 0.839 | 0.863 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.8796 | 0.874 | 0.89 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.8693 | 0.856 | 0.887 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.893 | 0.874 | 0.91 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Trinidad and Tobago
More social development data for Trinidad and Tobago
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1,877 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 576 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0004 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 576 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0014 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is freedom of expression index in Trinidad and Tobago?
- Freedom of expression index in Trinidad and Tobago was 0.888 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest freedom of expression index recorded in Trinidad and Tobago?
- The highest recorded value was 0.91 in 2021.
- What is the lowest freedom of expression index recorded in Trinidad and Tobago?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.233 in 1900.
- How does Trinidad and Tobago rank for freedom of expression index?
- Trinidad and Tobago ranks 33rd out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
- Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Trinidad and Tobago?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Trinidad and Tobago 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 — 126 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.