Key media freedoms in Australia
Australia: Key media freedoms was 2.22 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Key media freedoms in Australia, 1901–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Australia recorded 2.22 for key media freedoms in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 22.6% on the previous year and down 17.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, key media freedoms in Australia peaked at 3.35 in 1970 and was at its lowest, 1.36, in 1939.
That places Australia 18th out of 175 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 125 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 3.02 | 3.02 | 3.02 | 9 |
| 1910s | 2.25 | 1.59 | 3.02 | 10 |
| 1920s | 2.44 | 2.44 | 2.44 | 10 |
| 1930s | 2.33 | 1.36 | 2.44 | 10 |
| 1940s | 1.79 | 1.36 | 2.44 | 10 |
| 1950s | 2.44 | 2.44 | 2.44 | 10 |
| 1960s | 2.44 | 2.44 | 2.44 | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.35 | 3.35 | 3.35 | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.35 | 3.35 | 3.35 | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.35 | 3.35 | 3.35 | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.35 | 3.35 | 3.35 | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.78 | 1.99 | 3.35 | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.12 | 1.81 | 2.42 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More social development data for Australia
- Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 33,415 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 41 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Key features of democracy 0.844 (2025)
- Freedom of Expression Index 0.915 (2025)
- Freedom of Association Index 0.876 (2025)
- Electoral Democracy Index 0.844 (2025)
- Participatory Democracy Index 0.648 (2025)
- Liberal Democracy Index 0.793 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is key media freedoms in Australia?
- Key media freedoms in Australia was 2.22 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest key media freedoms recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 3.35 in 1970.
- What is the lowest key media freedoms recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.36 in 1939.
- How does Australia rank for key media freedoms?
- Australia ranks 18th out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
- Is key media freedoms rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Key media freedoms. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 125 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Central estimate of the extent to which the government directly or indirectly attempts to censor political content in print and broadcast media, through formal restrictions or indirect pressures such as financial control, licensing, or access to distribution channels.