Freedom of Expression Score in Hungary
Hungary: Freedom of Expression Score was 4 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Freedom of Expression Score in Hungary, 2005–2025
Source: Bertelsmann Transformation Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Hungary recorded 4 for freedom of expression score in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 11 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 33.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, freedom of expression score in Hungary peaked at 10 in 2005 and was at its lowest, 4, in 2021.
That places Hungary 62nd out of 128 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 11 years of available data.
Freedom of Expression Score in Hungary, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 10 | — |
| 2007 | 10 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 10 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 8 | -20.0% |
| 2013 | 7 | -12.5% |
| 2015 | 6 | -14.3% |
| 2017 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 5 | -16.7% |
| 2021 | 4 | -20.0% |
| 2023 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 4 | +0.0% |
Hungary compared with similar countries
- Hungary's 4 is below the median for high income countries, which is 7, 57% of the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Hungary's 4 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 6, 67% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 10 | 10 | 10 | 3 |
| 2010s | 6.4 | 5 | 8 | 5 |
| 2020s | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
Countries ranked near Hungary
More social development data for Hungary
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 71,332 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2,055 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 3 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 3 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0002 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2,055 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0075 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 score in Hungary?
- Freedom of expression score in Hungary was 4 in 2025, according to Bertelsmann Transformation Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest freedom of expression score recorded in Hungary?
- The highest recorded value was 10 in 2005.
- What is the lowest freedom of expression score recorded in Hungary?
- The lowest recorded value was 4 in 2021.
- How does Hungary rank for freedom of expression score?
- Hungary ranks 62nd out of 128 countries with data for 2025.
- Is freedom of expression score rising or falling in Hungary?
- Over the last ten years it is down 33.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Hungary data come from?
- The figures come from Bertelsmann Transformation Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Freedom of Expression Score. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 11 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Indicates the extent to which individuals, groups, and the press can express their views free from government interference.