What is freedom of expression index in Turkey?

Freedom of expression index in Turkey was 0.179 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

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

The highest recorded value was 0.749 in 2004.

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

The lowest recorded value was 0.027 in 1890.

How does Turkey rank for freedom of expression index?

Turkey ranks 147th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Turkey?

Over the last ten years it is down 49.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Turkey 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 Turkey

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

Turkey: Freedom of Expression Index was 0.179 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)

0.179

Change on year

down 2.2%

World rank

147th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.749

in 2004

All-time low

0.027

in 1890

Years of data

237

1789–2025

Freedom of Expression Index in Turkey, 1789–2025

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

Analysis

In 2025, freedom of expression index in Turkey stood at 0.179.

That represents a change of down 2.2% on the previous year and down 49.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, freedom of expression index in Turkey peaked at 0.749 in 2004 and was at its lowest, 0.027, in 1890.

Turkey ranks 147th of 176 countries on this measure, 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 Turkey, year by year

Annual values for Freedom of Expression Index in Turkey, 1789 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1789	0.08	—
1790	0.08	+0.0%
1791	0.08	+0.0%
1792	0.08	+0.0%
1793	0.08	+0.0%
1794	0.08	+0.0%
1795	0.08	+0.0%
1796	0.08	+0.0%
1797	0.08	+0.0%
1798	0.08	+0.0%
1799	0.08	+0.0%
1800	0.08	+0.0%
1801	0.08	+0.0%
1802	0.08	+0.0%
1803	0.08	+0.0%
1804	0.08	+0.0%
1805	0.08	+0.0%
1806	0.08	+0.0%
1807	0.08	+0.0%
1808	0.075	-6.3%
1809	0.069	-8.0%
1810	0.069	+0.0%
1811	0.069	+0.0%
1812	0.069	+0.0%
1813	0.069	+0.0%
1814	0.069	+0.0%
1815	0.069	+0.0%
1816	0.069	+0.0%
1817	0.069	+0.0%
1818	0.069	+0.0%
1819	0.069	+0.0%
1820	0.069	+0.0%
1821	0.069	+0.0%
1822	0.069	+0.0%
1823	0.069	+0.0%
1824	0.069	+0.0%
1825	0.069	+0.0%
1826	0.069	+0.0%
1827	0.069	+0.0%
1828	0.069	+0.0%
1829	0.069	+0.0%
1830	0.069	+0.0%
1831	0.069	+0.0%
1832	0.069	+0.0%
1833	0.069	+0.0%
1834	0.069	+0.0%
1835	0.069	+0.0%
1836	0.069	+0.0%
1837	0.069	+0.0%
1838	0.069	+0.0%
1839	0.075	+8.7%
1840	0.071	-5.3%
1841	0.071	+0.0%
1842	0.071	+0.0%
1843	0.071	+0.0%
1844	0.071	+0.0%
1845	0.071	+0.0%
1846	0.071	+0.0%
1847	0.071	+0.0%
1848	0.071	+0.0%
1849	0.071	+0.0%
1850	0.071	+0.0%
1851	0.071	+0.0%
1852	0.071	+0.0%
1853	0.071	+0.0%
1854	0.071	+0.0%
1855	0.071	+0.0%
1856	0.071	+0.0%
1857	0.071	+0.0%
1858	0.071	+0.0%
1859	0.071	+0.0%
1860	0.167	+135.2%
1861	0.2	+19.8%
1862	0.2	+0.0%
1863	0.2	+0.0%
1864	0.2	+0.0%
1865	0.2	+0.0%
1866	0.2	+0.0%
1867	0.217	+8.5%
1868	0.217	+0.0%
1869	0.217	+0.0%
1870	0.217	+0.0%
1871	0.217	+0.0%
1872	0.217	+0.0%
1873	0.217	+0.0%
1874	0.217	+0.0%
1875	0.217	+0.0%
1876	0.217	+0.0%
1877	0.071	-67.3%
1878	0.044	-38.0%
1879	0.044	+0.0%
1880	0.044	+0.0%
1881	0.044	+0.0%
1882	0.044	+0.0%
1883	0.044	+0.0%
1884	0.044	+0.0%
1885	0.044	+0.0%
1886	0.044	+0.0%
1887	0.044	+0.0%
1888	0.044	+0.0%
1889	0.044	+0.0%
1890	0.027	-38.6%
1891	0.027	+0.0%
1892	0.027	+0.0%
1893	0.027	+0.0%
1894	0.027	+0.0%
1895	0.027	+0.0%
1896	0.027	+0.0%
1897	0.027	+0.0%
1898	0.027	+0.0%
1899	0.027	+0.0%
1900	0.032	+18.5%
1901	0.032	+0.0%
1902	0.032	+0.0%
1903	0.032	+0.0%
1904	0.032	+0.0%
1905	0.032	+0.0%
1906	0.032	+0.0%
1907	0.032	+0.0%
1908	0.099	+209.4%
1909	0.379	+282.8%
1910	0.373	-1.6%
1911	0.35	-6.2%
1912	0.279	-20.3%
1913	0.145	-48.0%
1914	0.123	-15.2%
1915	0.117	-4.9%
1916	0.117	+0.0%
1917	0.117	+0.0%
1918	0.14	+19.7%
1919	0.282	+101.4%
1920	0.286	+1.4%
1921	0.286	+0.0%
1922	0.286	+0.0%
1923	0.145	-49.3%
1924	0.134	-7.6%
1925	0.131	-2.2%
1926	0.115	-12.2%
1927	0.115	+0.0%
1928	0.115	+0.0%
1929	0.115	+0.0%
1930	0.115	+0.0%
1931	0.115	+0.0%
1932	0.115	+0.0%
1933	0.115	+0.0%
1934	0.115	+0.0%
1935	0.115	+0.0%
1936	0.115	+0.0%
1937	0.115	+0.0%
1938	0.115	+0.0%
1939	0.115	+0.0%
1940	0.124	+7.8%
1941	0.124	+0.0%
1942	0.124	+0.0%
1943	0.124	+0.0%
1944	0.124	+0.0%
1945	0.135	+8.9%
1946	0.188	+39.3%
1947	0.196	+4.3%
1948	0.196	+0.0%
1949	0.196	+0.0%
1950	0.36	+83.7%
1951	0.524	+45.6%
1952	0.515	-1.7%
1953	0.521	+1.2%
1954	0.521	+0.0%
1955	0.521	+0.0%
1956	0.358	-31.3%
1957	0.358	+0.0%
1958	0.358	+0.0%
1959	0.358	+0.0%
1960	0.291	-18.7%
1961	0.371	+27.5%
1962	0.469	+26.4%
1963	0.549	+17.1%
1964	0.673	+22.6%
1965	0.704	+4.6%
1966	0.725	+3.0%
1967	0.725	+0.0%
1968	0.725	+0.0%
1969	0.725	+0.0%
1970	0.646	-10.9%
1971	0.581	-10.1%
1972	0.583	+0.3%
1973	0.642	+10.1%
1974	0.719	+12.0%
1975	0.719	+0.0%
1976	0.719	+0.0%
1977	0.719	+0.0%
1978	0.719	+0.0%
1979	0.719	+0.0%
1980	0.448	-37.7%
1981	0.171	-61.8%
1982	0.171	+0.0%
1983	0.227	+32.7%
1984	0.466	+105.3%
1985	0.466	+0.0%
1986	0.501	+7.5%
1987	0.515	+2.8%
1988	0.526	+2.1%
1989	0.526	+0.0%
1990	0.594	+12.9%
1991	0.594	+0.0%
1992	0.609	+2.5%
1993	0.609	+0.0%
1994	0.622	+2.1%
1995	0.622	+0.0%
1996	0.616	-1.0%
1997	0.603	-2.1%
1998	0.603	+0.0%
1999	0.651	+8.0%
2000	0.681	+4.6%
2001	0.687	+0.9%
2002	0.737	+7.3%
2003	0.74	+0.4%
2004	0.749	+1.2%
2005	0.718	-4.1%
2006	0.718	+0.0%
2007	0.708	-1.4%
2008	0.633	-10.6%
2009	0.623	-1.6%
2010	0.547	-12.2%
2011	0.536	-2.0%
2012	0.527	-1.7%
2013	0.446	-15.4%
2014	0.368	-17.5%
2015	0.352	-4.3%
2016	0.218	-38.1%
2017	0.18	-17.4%
2018	0.198	+10.0%
2019	0.191	-3.5%
2020	0.19	-0.5%
2021	0.189	-0.5%
2022	0.18	-4.8%
2023	0.177	-1.7%
2024	0.183	+3.4%
2025	0.179	-2.2%

Turkey compared with similar countries

Turkey's 0.179 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.6745, 27% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Turkey's 0.179 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.7935, 23% of the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1780s	0.08	0.08	0.08	1
1790s	0.08	0.08	0.08	10
1800s	0.0784	0.069	0.08	10
1810s	0.069	0.069	0.069	10
1820s	0.069	0.069	0.069	10
1830s	0.0696	0.069	0.075	10
1840s	0.071	0.071	0.071	10
1850s	0.071	0.071	0.071	10
1860s	0.2018	0.167	0.217	10
1870s	0.1678	0.044	0.217	10
1880s	0.044	0.044	0.044	10
1890s	0.027	0.027	0.027	10
1900s	0.0734	0.032	0.379	10
1910s	0.2043	0.117	0.373	10
1920s	0.1728	0.115	0.286	10
1930s	0.115	0.115	0.115	10
1940s	0.1531	0.124	0.196	10
1950s	0.4394	0.358	0.524	10
1960s	0.5957	0.291	0.725	10
1970s	0.6766	0.581	0.719	10
1980s	0.4017	0.171	0.526	10
1990s	0.6123	0.594	0.651	10
2000s	0.6994	0.623	0.749	10
2010s	0.3563	0.18	0.547	10
2020s	0.183	0.177	0.19	6

Countries ranked near Turkey

144 Uzbekistan 0.234 compare
145 Hong Kong 0.227 compare
146 Yemen 0.219 compare
147 Egypt 0.179 compare
149 Bahrain 0.172 compare
150 Rwanda 0.17 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Turkey

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2.39 million (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 149,405 (2025)
Political Rights Rating 5 (2025)
Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 5 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0017 units per person (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 149,405 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0278 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 Turkey →

Frequently asked questions

What is freedom of expression index in Turkey?: Freedom of expression index in Turkey was 0.179 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest freedom of expression index recorded in Turkey?: The highest recorded value was 0.749 in 2004.
What is the lowest freedom of expression index recorded in Turkey?: The lowest recorded value was 0.027 in 1890.
How does Turkey rank for freedom of expression index?: Turkey ranks 147th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Turkey?: Over the last ten years it is down 49.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Turkey 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 Turkey. 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/turkiye/

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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.