What is freedom of expression index in United States?

Freedom of expression index in United States was 0.729 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest freedom of expression index recorded in United States?

The highest recorded value was 0.965 in 2010.

What is the lowest freedom of expression index recorded in United States?

The lowest recorded value was 0.63 in 1799.

How does United States rank for freedom of expression index?

United States ranks 83rd out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in United States?

Over the last ten years it is down 24.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Where does this United States 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 United States

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

United States: Freedom of Expression Index was 0.729 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)

0.729

Change on year

down 19.4%

World rank

83rd

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.965

in 2010

All-time low

0.63

in 1799

Years of data

237

1789–2025

Freedom of Expression Index in United States, 1789–2025

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for freedom of expression index in United States is 0.729, measured in 2025.

That represents a change of down 19.4% on the previous year and down 24.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, freedom of expression index in United States peaked at 0.965 in 2010 and was at its lowest, 0.63, in 1799.

That places United States 83rd 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 237 years of available data.

Freedom of Expression Index in United States, year by year

Annual values for Freedom of Expression Index in United States, 1789 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1789	0.738	—
1790	0.738	+0.0%
1791	0.738	+0.0%
1792	0.738	+0.0%
1793	0.738	+0.0%
1794	0.738	+0.0%
1795	0.738	+0.0%
1796	0.738	+0.0%
1797	0.738	+0.0%
1798	0.676	-8.4%
1799	0.63	-6.8%
1800	0.63	+0.0%
1801	0.712	+13.0%
1802	0.712	+0.0%
1803	0.712	+0.0%
1804	0.712	+0.0%
1805	0.712	+0.0%
1806	0.712	+0.0%
1807	0.712	+0.0%
1808	0.712	+0.0%
1809	0.712	+0.0%
1810	0.712	+0.0%
1811	0.712	+0.0%
1812	0.712	+0.0%
1813	0.712	+0.0%
1814	0.712	+0.0%
1815	0.712	+0.0%
1816	0.712	+0.0%
1817	0.712	+0.0%
1818	0.712	+0.0%
1819	0.712	+0.0%
1820	0.712	+0.0%
1821	0.712	+0.0%
1822	0.712	+0.0%
1823	0.712	+0.0%
1824	0.712	+0.0%
1825	0.712	+0.0%
1826	0.712	+0.0%
1827	0.712	+0.0%
1828	0.74	+3.9%
1829	0.74	+0.0%
1830	0.74	+0.0%
1831	0.74	+0.0%
1832	0.74	+0.0%
1833	0.74	+0.0%
1834	0.74	+0.0%
1835	0.717	-3.1%
1836	0.717	+0.0%
1837	0.717	+0.0%
1838	0.717	+0.0%
1839	0.717	+0.0%
1840	0.717	+0.0%
1841	0.717	+0.0%
1842	0.717	+0.0%
1843	0.717	+0.0%
1844	0.717	+0.0%
1845	0.717	+0.0%
1846	0.717	+0.0%
1847	0.717	+0.0%
1848	0.717	+0.0%
1849	0.717	+0.0%
1850	0.717	+0.0%
1851	0.717	+0.0%
1852	0.717	+0.0%
1853	0.717	+0.0%
1854	0.717	+0.0%
1855	0.717	+0.0%
1856	0.717	+0.0%
1857	0.717	+0.0%
1858	0.717	+0.0%
1859	0.717	+0.0%
1860	0.717	+0.0%
1861	0.738	+2.9%
1862	0.762	+3.3%
1863	0.762	+0.0%
1864	0.762	+0.0%
1865	0.762	+0.0%
1866	0.762	+0.0%
1867	0.762	+0.0%
1868	0.762	+0.0%
1869	0.762	+0.0%
1870	0.762	+0.0%
1871	0.762	+0.0%
1872	0.762	+0.0%
1873	0.762	+0.0%
1874	0.762	+0.0%
1875	0.762	+0.0%
1876	0.762	+0.0%
1877	0.762	+0.0%
1878	0.762	+0.0%
1879	0.762	+0.0%
1880	0.762	+0.0%
1881	0.762	+0.0%
1882	0.762	+0.0%
1883	0.762	+0.0%
1884	0.762	+0.0%
1885	0.762	+0.0%
1886	0.742	-2.6%
1887	0.742	+0.0%
1888	0.742	+0.0%
1889	0.766	+3.2%
1890	0.766	+0.0%
1891	0.766	+0.0%
1892	0.766	+0.0%
1893	0.766	+0.0%
1894	0.766	+0.0%
1895	0.766	+0.0%
1896	0.766	+0.0%
1897	0.766	+0.0%
1898	0.766	+0.0%
1899	0.766	+0.0%
1900	0.77	+0.5%
1901	0.768	-0.3%
1902	0.768	+0.0%
1903	0.766	-0.3%
1904	0.766	+0.0%
1905	0.766	+0.0%
1906	0.766	+0.0%
1907	0.766	+0.0%
1908	0.766	+0.0%
1909	0.766	+0.0%
1910	0.765	-0.1%
1911	0.765	+0.0%
1912	0.765	+0.0%
1913	0.765	+0.0%
1914	0.765	+0.0%
1915	0.765	+0.0%
1916	0.755	-1.3%
1917	0.714	-5.4%
1918	0.712	-0.3%
1919	0.744	+4.5%
1920	0.75	+0.8%
1921	0.745	-0.7%
1922	0.745	+0.0%
1923	0.745	+0.0%
1924	0.745	+0.0%
1925	0.745	+0.0%
1926	0.745	+0.0%
1927	0.745	+0.0%
1928	0.745	+0.0%
1929	0.745	+0.0%
1930	0.745	+0.0%
1931	0.778	+4.4%
1932	0.794	+2.1%
1933	0.797	+0.4%
1934	0.797	+0.0%
1935	0.797	+0.0%
1936	0.797	+0.0%
1937	0.797	+0.0%
1938	0.797	+0.0%
1939	0.778	-2.4%
1940	0.776	-0.3%
1941	0.736	-5.2%
1942	0.695	-5.6%
1943	0.695	+0.0%
1944	0.695	+0.0%
1945	0.695	+0.0%
1946	0.8	+15.1%
1947	0.8	+0.0%
1948	0.786	-1.8%
1949	0.786	+0.0%
1950	0.774	-1.5%
1951	0.774	+0.0%
1952	0.774	+0.0%
1953	0.774	+0.0%
1954	0.785	+1.4%
1955	0.785	+0.0%
1956	0.796	+1.4%
1957	0.796	+0.0%
1958	0.819	+2.9%
1959	0.819	+0.0%
1960	0.859	+4.9%
1961	0.859	+0.0%
1962	0.859	+0.0%
1963	0.859	+0.0%
1964	0.854	-0.6%
1965	0.854	+0.0%
1966	0.863	+1.1%
1967	0.861	-0.2%
1968	0.867	+0.7%
1969	0.878	+1.3%
1970	0.895	+1.9%
1971	0.871	-2.7%
1972	0.895	+2.8%
1973	0.923	+3.1%
1974	0.934	+1.2%
1975	0.937	+0.3%
1976	0.947	+1.1%
1977	0.941	-0.6%
1978	0.95	+1.0%
1979	0.95	+0.0%
1980	0.946	-0.4%
1981	0.951	+0.5%
1982	0.951	+0.0%
1983	0.954	+0.3%
1984	0.954	+0.0%
1985	0.954	+0.0%
1986	0.954	+0.0%
1987	0.958	+0.4%
1988	0.958	+0.0%
1989	0.958	+0.0%
1990	0.964	+0.6%
1991	0.957	-0.7%
1992	0.964	+0.7%
1993	0.96	-0.4%
1994	0.96	+0.0%
1995	0.96	+0.0%
1996	0.96	+0.0%
1997	0.96	+0.0%
1998	0.96	+0.0%
1999	0.96	+0.0%
2000	0.962	+0.2%
2001	0.955	-0.7%
2002	0.949	-0.6%
2003	0.956	+0.7%
2004	0.96	+0.4%
2005	0.96	+0.0%
2006	0.96	+0.0%
2007	0.963	+0.3%
2008	0.963	+0.0%
2009	0.964	+0.1%
2010	0.965	+0.1%
2011	0.961	-0.4%
2012	0.959	-0.2%
2013	0.963	+0.4%
2014	0.963	+0.0%
2015	0.961	-0.2%
2016	0.948	-1.4%
2017	0.911	-3.9%
2018	0.903	-0.9%
2019	0.891	-1.3%
2020	0.901	+1.1%
2021	0.934	+3.7%
2022	0.944	+1.1%
2023	0.936	-0.8%
2024	0.904	-3.4%
2025	0.729	-19.4%

United States compared with similar countries

United States's 0.729 is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.874, 83% of the median. (55 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1780s	0.738	0.738	0.738	1
1790s	0.721	0.63	0.738	10
1800s	0.7038	0.63	0.712	10
1810s	0.712	0.712	0.712	10
1820s	0.7176	0.712	0.74	10
1830s	0.7285	0.717	0.74	10
1840s	0.717	0.717	0.717	10
1850s	0.717	0.717	0.717	10
1860s	0.7551	0.717	0.762	10
1870s	0.762	0.762	0.762	10
1880s	0.7564	0.742	0.766	10
1890s	0.766	0.766	0.766	10
1900s	0.7668	0.766	0.77	10
1910s	0.7515	0.712	0.765	10
1920s	0.7455	0.745	0.75	10
1930s	0.7877	0.745	0.797	10
1940s	0.7464	0.695	0.8	10
1950s	0.7896	0.774	0.819	10
1960s	0.8613	0.854	0.878	10
1970s	0.9243	0.871	0.95	10
1980s	0.9538	0.946	0.958	10
1990s	0.9605	0.957	0.964	10
2000s	0.9592	0.949	0.964	10
2010s	0.9425	0.891	0.965	10
2020s	0.8913	0.729	0.944	6

Countries ranked near United States

80 Croatia 0.743 compare
81 Argentina 0.736 compare
82 Armenia 0.732 compare
84 Lesotho 0.728 compare
85 Fiji 0.724 compare
86 Ecuador 0.706 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for United States

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 457,647 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 3,667 (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 units per person (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 3,667 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0013 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 United States →

Frequently asked questions

What is freedom of expression index in United States?: Freedom of expression index in United States was 0.729 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest freedom of expression index recorded in United States?: The highest recorded value was 0.965 in 2010.
What is the lowest freedom of expression index recorded in United States?: The lowest recorded value was 0.63 in 1799.
How does United States rank for freedom of expression index?: United States ranks 83rd out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in United States?: Over the last ten years it is down 24.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this United States 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 United States. 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/united-states/

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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.