Freedom of Expression Score by country
Indicates the extent to which individuals, groups, and the press can express their views free from government interference.
Countries reporting
128
Highest
10
Chile
Lowest
1
Yemen
Median
4
Years covered
21
2005–2025
Data points
1,394
What the numbers show
Freedom of Expression Score is currently reported for 128 countries. The highest value is 10 in Chile; the lowest is 1 in Yemen.
The median across all reporting countries is 4, and the mean is 4.62.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 10.
Over the past decade 21 countries rose and 77 fell. The largest increase was in Syria (up 200.0%), and the largest decrease in Libya (down 83.3%).
Freedom of Expression Score: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chile | 10 | 2025 | up 11.1% | flat |
| 1 | Estonia | 10 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Lithuania | 10 | 2025 | up 11.1% | flat |
| 4 | Costa Rica | 9 | 2025 | down 10.0% | falling |
| 4 | Jamaica | 9 | 2025 | down 10.0% | flat |
| 4 | Latvia | 9 | 2025 | up 12.5% | falling |
| 4 | Poland | 9 | 2025 | down 10.0% | falling |
| 4 | Uruguay | 9 | 2025 | down 10.0% | flat |
| 4 | Taiwan | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 10 | Armenia | 8 | 2025 | up 60.0% | rising |
| 10 | Botswana | 8 | 2025 | up 14.3% | falling |
| 10 | Czechia | 8 | 2025 | down 11.1% | falling |
| 10 | Dominican Republic | 8 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 10 | Ghana | 8 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 10 | Moldova | 8 | 2025 | up 14.3% | rising |
| 10 | Nepal | 8 | 2025 | up 14.3% | rising |
| 10 | Slovakia | 8 | 2025 | down 11.1% | falling |
| 10 | Slovenia | 8 | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 19 | Albania | 7 | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 19 | Argentina | 7 | 2025 | down 12.5% | flat |
| 19 | Bolivia | 7 | 2025 | down 12.5% | flat |
| 19 | Brazil | 7 | 2025 | down 12.5% | falling |
| 19 | Bhutan | 7 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 19 | Cote d'Ivoire | 7 | 2025 | up 16.7% | rising |
| 19 | Colombia | 7 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 19 | Ecuador | 7 | 2025 | up 75.0% | flat |
| 19 | Croatia | 7 | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 19 | Liberia | 7 | 2025 | up 16.7% | rising |
| 19 | Sri Lanka | 7 | 2025 | up 75.0% | rising |
| 19 | Lesotho | 7 | 2025 | up 16.7% | rising |
| 19 | North Macedonia | 7 | 2025 | up 75.0% | falling |
| 19 | Montenegro | 7 | 2025 | up 16.7% | falling |
| 19 | Malawi | 7 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 19 | Namibia | 7 | 2025 | down 12.5% | falling |
| 19 | Panama | 7 | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 19 | Peru | 7 | 2025 | down 12.5% | falling |
| 19 | Papua New Guinea | 7 | 2025 | down 22.2% | falling |
| 19 | Romania | 7 | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 19 | Senegal | 7 | 2025 | down 12.5% | falling |
| 19 | South Africa | 7 | 2025 | down 12.5% | falling |
| 41 | Benin | 6 | 2025 | down 14.3% | falling |
| 41 | Bulgaria | 6 | 2025 | down 14.3% | falling |
| 41 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 41 | Central African Republic | 6 | 2025 | down 14.3% | rising |
| 41 | South Korea | 6 | 2025 | down 14.3% | falling |
| 41 | Mongolia | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 41 | Paraguay | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 41 | Syria | 6 | 2025 | up 200.0% | volatile |
| 49 | Bangladesh | 5 | 2025 | up 25.0% | falling |
| 49 | Georgia | 5 | 2025 | down 37.5% | rising |
| 49 | Iraq | 5 | 2025 | up 66.7% | falling |
| 49 | Kenya | 5 | 2025 | down 28.6% | falling |
| 49 | Lebanon | 5 | 2025 | down 28.6% | falling |
| 49 | Mexico | 5 | 2025 | down 16.7% | falling |
| 49 | Mauritania | 5 | 2025 | down 28.6% | falling |
| 49 | Mauritius | 5 | 2025 | down 28.6% | falling |
| 49 | Nigeria | 5 | 2025 | down 16.7% | falling |
| 49 | Sierra Leone | 5 | 2025 | down 16.7% | falling |
| 49 | Tanzania | 5 | 2025 | down 16.7% | falling |
| 49 | Ukraine | 5 | 2025 | down 37.5% | falling |
| 49 | Zambia | 5 | 2025 | down 16.7% | falling |
| 62 | Angola | 4 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 62 | Guatemala | 4 | 2025 | down 33.3% | falling |
| 62 | Honduras | 4 | 2025 | down 33.3% | falling |
| 62 | Hungary | 4 | 2025 | down 33.3% | falling |
| 62 | Indonesia | 4 | 2025 | down 33.3% | falling |
| 62 | India | 4 | 2025 | down 42.9% | falling |
| 62 | Malaysia | 4 | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 62 | Philippines | 4 | 2025 | down 33.3% | falling |
| 62 | Qatar | 4 | 2025 | down 20.0% | falling |
| 62 | El Salvador | 4 | 2025 | down 50.0% | falling |
| 62 | Tunisia | 4 | 2025 | down 33.3% | rising |
| 62 | Uganda | 4 | 2025 | down 20.0% | falling |
| 74 | Burundi | 3 | 2025 | down 25.0% | falling |
| 74 | Burkina Faso | 3 | 2025 | down 57.1% | falling |
| 74 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 74 | Congo | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 74 | Algeria | 3 | 2025 | down 50.0% | falling |
| 74 | Ethiopia | 3 | 2025 | up 50.0% | falling |
| 74 | Guinea | 3 | 2025 | down 50.0% | falling |
| 74 | Haiti | 3 | 2025 | down 50.0% | rising |
| 74 | Jordan | 3 | 2025 | down 25.0% | falling |
| 74 | Kyrgyzstan | 3 | 2025 | down 57.1% | falling |
| 74 | Kuwait | 3 | 2025 | down 40.0% | falling |
| 74 | Madagascar | 3 | 2025 | down 25.0% | falling |
| 74 | Mozambique | 3 | 2025 | down 50.0% | falling |
| 74 | Pakistan | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 74 | Rwanda | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 74 | Singapore | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 74 | Serbia | 3 | 2025 | down 57.1% | falling |
| 74 | South Sudan | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 74 | Togo | 3 | 2025 | down 40.0% | falling |
| 74 | Thailand | 3 | 2025 | up 50.0% | falling |
| 74 | Turkey | 3 | 2025 | down 40.0% | falling |
| 74 | Uzbekistan | 3 | 2025 | up 50.0% | rising |
| 74 | Venezuela | 3 | 2025 | down 25.0% | falling |
| 74 | Zimbabwe | 3 | 2025 | down 25.0% | falling |
| 98 | United Arab Emirates | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 98 | Azerbaijan | 2 | 2025 | down 33.3% | falling |
| 98 | Belarus | 2 | 2025 | down 33.3% | falling |
| 98 | Cameroon | 2 | 2025 | down 33.3% | falling |
| 98 | Cuba | 2 | 2025 | down 33.3% | rising |
| 98 | Egypt | 2 | 2025 | down 50.0% | falling |
| 98 | Kazakhstan | 2 | 2025 | down 33.3% | falling |
| 98 | Cambodia | 2 | 2025 | down 50.0% | falling |
| 98 | Laos | 2 | 2025 | up 100.0% | rising |
| 98 | Morocco | 2 | 2025 | down 50.0% | falling |
| 98 | Mali | 2 | 2025 | down 71.4% | falling |
| 98 | Niger | 2 | 2025 | down 75.0% | falling |
| 98 | Nicaragua | 2 | 2025 | down 71.4% | falling |
| 98 | Russia | 2 | 2025 | down 50.0% | falling |
| 98 | Saudi Arabia | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 98 | Sudan | 2 | 2025 | down 33.3% | falling |
| 98 | Somalia | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 98 | Chad | 2 | 2025 | down 33.3% | falling |
| 116 | Afghanistan | 1 | 2025 | down 75.0% | falling |
| 116 | Bahrain | 1 | 2025 | down 50.0% | falling |
| 116 | China | 1 | 2025 | down 50.0% | falling |
| 116 | Eritrea | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 116 | Iran | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 116 | Libya | 1 | 2025 | down 83.3% | volatile |
| 116 | Myanmar | 1 | 2025 | down 80.0% | volatile |
| 116 | Oman | 1 | 2025 | down 50.0% | volatile |
| 116 | North Korea | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 116 | Tajikistan | 1 | 2025 | down 66.7% | falling |
| 116 | Turkmenistan | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 116 | Vietnam | 1 | 2025 | down 50.0% | falling |
| 116 | Yemen | 1 | 2025 | down 66.7% | volatile |
About this data
Indicates the extent to which individuals, groups, and the press can express their views free from government interference.