Freedom of Expression Score in United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates: Freedom of Expression Score was 2 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Freedom of Expression Score in United Arab Emirates, 2005–2025
Source: Bertelsmann Transformation Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
United Arab Emirates recorded 2 for freedom of expression score in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 11 years on record.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, freedom of expression score in United Arab Emirates peaked at 5 in 2009 and was at its lowest, 2, in 2015.
United Arab Emirates ranks 98th of 128 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 11 years of available data.
Freedom of Expression Score in United Arab Emirates, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 4 | — |
| 2007 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 5 | +25.0% |
| 2011 | 4 | -20.0% |
| 2013 | 3 | -25.0% |
| 2015 | 2 | -33.3% |
| 2017 | 3 | +50.0% |
| 2019 | 2 | -33.3% |
| 2021 | 2 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 2 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 2 | +0.0% |
United Arab Emirates compared with similar countries
- United Arab Emirates's 2 is below the median for high income countries, which is 7, 29% of the median. (24 countries reporting)
- United Arab Emirates's 2 is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 2, 1.0× the median. (19 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 4.33 | 4 | 5 | 3 |
| 2010s | 2.8 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| 2020s | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
Countries ranked near United Arab Emirates
- 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 Sudan 2 compare
More social development data for United Arab Emirates
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1,377 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 252 (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 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 252 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0001 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is freedom of expression score in United Arab Emirates?
- Freedom of expression score in United Arab Emirates 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 United Arab Emirates?
- The highest recorded value was 5 in 2009.
- What is the lowest freedom of expression score recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The lowest recorded value was 2 in 2015.
- How does United Arab Emirates rank for freedom of expression score?
- United Arab Emirates ranks 98th out of 128 countries with data for 2025.
- Is freedom of expression score rising or falling in United Arab Emirates?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Arab Emirates 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.
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About this data
Indicates the extent to which individuals, groups, and the press can express their views free from government interference.