Freedom of Expression Score in Sudan
Sudan: Freedom of Expression Score was 2 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Freedom of Expression Score in Sudan, 2005–2025
Source: Bertelsmann Transformation Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Sudan recorded 2 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 Sudan peaked at 5 in 2009 and was at its lowest, 2, in 2005.
That places Sudan 98th out of 128 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 11 years of available data.
Freedom of Expression Score in Sudan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 2 | — |
| 2007 | 4 | +100.0% |
| 2009 | 5 | +25.0% |
| 2011 | 3 | -40.0% |
| 2013 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 5 | +66.7% |
| 2023 | 2 | -60.0% |
| 2025 | 2 | +0.0% |
Sudan compared with similar countries
- Sudan's 2 is below the median for low income countries, which is 3, 67% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Sudan's 2 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4, 50% of the median. (39 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 3.67 | 2 | 5 | 3 |
| 2010s | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
| 2020s | 3 | 2 | 5 | 3 |
Countries ranked near Sudan
- 98 Azerbaijan 2 compare
- 98 Belarus 2 compare
- 98 Cambodia 2 compare
- 98 Cameroon 2 compare
- 98 Chad 2 compare
- 98 Cuba 2 compare
- 98 Egypt 2 compare
- 98 Kazakhstan 2 compare
- 98 Laos 2 compare
- 98 Mali 2 compare
- 98 Morocco 2 compare
- 98 Nicaragua 2 compare
- 98 Niger 2 compare
- 98 Russia 2 compare
- 98 Saudi Arabia 2 compare
- 98 Somalia 2 compare
- 98 United Arab Emirates 2 compare
More social development data for Sudan
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 809,816 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2.82 million (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 7 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0546 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2.82 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0157 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 Sudan?
- Freedom of expression score in Sudan was 2 in 2025, according to Bertelsmann Transformation Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest freedom of expression score recorded in Sudan?
- The highest recorded value was 5 in 2009.
- What is the lowest freedom of expression score recorded in Sudan?
- The lowest recorded value was 2 in 2005.
- How does Sudan rank for freedom of expression score?
- Sudan ranks 98th out of 128 countries with data for 2025.
- Is freedom of expression score rising or falling in Sudan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 33.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sudan 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.