Key media freedoms in Belarus
Belarus: Key media freedoms was -2.82 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
-2.82
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
172nd
of 175 countries
All-time high
0.719
in 1992
All-time low
-2.82
in 2021
Years of data
126
1900–2025
Key media freedoms in Belarus, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for key media freedoms in Belarus is -2.82, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 126 years on record.
That represents a change of down 75.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, key media freedoms in Belarus peaked at 0.719 in 1992 and was at its lowest, -2.82, in 2021.
That places Belarus 172nd out of 175 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Key media freedoms in Belarus, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | -0.912 | — |
| 1901 | -0.912 | -0.0% |
| 1902 | -0.912 | -0.0% |
| 1903 | -0.912 | -0.0% |
| 1904 | -0.912 | -0.0% |
| 1905 | -0.912 | -0.0% |
| 1906 | -0.912 | -0.0% |
| 1907 | -0.912 | -0.0% |
| 1908 | -0.912 | -0.0% |
| 1909 | -0.912 | -0.0% |
| 1910 | -0.912 | -0.0% |
| 1911 | -0.912 | -0.0% |
| 1912 | -0.912 | -0.0% |
| 1913 | -0.912 | -0.0% |
| 1914 | -0.912 | -0.0% |
| 1915 | -0.912 | -0.0% |
| 1916 | -0.912 | -0.0% |
| 1917 | -1.58 | +73.2% |
| 1918 | -2.55 | +61.5% |
| 1919 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1920 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1921 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1922 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1923 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1924 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1925 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1926 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1927 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1928 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1929 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1930 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1931 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1932 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1933 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1934 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1935 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1936 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1937 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1938 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1939 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1940 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1941 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1942 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1943 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1944 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1945 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1946 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1947 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1948 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1949 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1950 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1951 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1952 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1953 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1954 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1955 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1956 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1957 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1958 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1959 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1960 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1961 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1962 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1963 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1964 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1965 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1966 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1967 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1968 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1969 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1970 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1971 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1972 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1973 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1974 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1975 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1976 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1977 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1978 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1979 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1980 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1981 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1982 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1983 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1984 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1985 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1986 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1987 | -1.42 | -44.4% |
| 1988 | -1.42 | -0.0% |
| 1989 | -1.19 | -15.9% |
| 1990 | 0.423 | -135.5% |
| 1991 | 0.423 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 0.719 | +70.0% |
| 1993 | 0.719 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 0.719 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 0.204 | -71.6% |
| 1996 | 0.204 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | -0.509 | -349.5% |
| 1998 | -1.45 | +185.3% |
| 1999 | -1.45 | -0.0% |
| 2000 | -1.45 | -0.0% |
| 2001 | -1.45 | -0.0% |
| 2002 | -1.45 | -0.0% |
| 2003 | -1.45 | -0.0% |
| 2004 | -1.45 | -0.0% |
| 2005 | -1.45 | -0.0% |
| 2006 | -2.07 | +42.6% |
| 2007 | -2.07 | -0.0% |
| 2008 | -2.07 | -0.0% |
| 2009 | -2.07 | -0.0% |
| 2010 | -2.2 | +6.4% |
| 2011 | -2.2 | -0.0% |
| 2012 | -2.2 | -0.0% |
| 2013 | -1.61 | -27.0% |
| 2014 | -1.61 | -0.0% |
| 2015 | -1.61 | -0.0% |
| 2016 | -1.61 | -0.0% |
| 2017 | -1.59 | -1.0% |
| 2018 | -1.7 | +6.5% |
| 2019 | -1.88 | +10.8% |
| 2020 | -2.55 | +35.5% |
| 2021 | -2.82 | +10.8% |
| 2022 | -2.82 | -0.0% |
| 2023 | -2.82 | -0.0% |
| 2024 | -2.82 | -0.0% |
| 2025 | -2.82 | -0.0% |
Belarus compared with similar countries
- Belarus's -2.82 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.209. (48 countries reporting)
- Belarus's -2.82 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.973. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | -0.912 | -0.912 | -0.912 | 10 |
| 1910s | -1.31 | -2.55 | -0.912 | 10 |
| 1920s | -2.55 | -2.55 | -2.55 | 10 |
| 1930s | -2.55 | -2.55 | -2.55 | 10 |
| 1940s | -2.55 | -2.55 | -2.55 | 10 |
| 1950s | -2.55 | -2.55 | -2.55 | 10 |
| 1960s | -2.55 | -2.55 | -2.55 | 10 |
| 1970s | -2.55 | -2.55 | -2.55 | 10 |
| 1980s | -2.19 | -2.55 | -1.19 | 10 |
| 1990s | -0.0002 | -1.45 | 0.719 | 10 |
| 2000s | -1.7 | -2.07 | -1.45 | 10 |
| 2010s | -1.82 | -2.2 | -1.59 | 10 |
| 2020s | -2.78 | -2.82 | -2.55 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Belarus
- 169 Afghanistan -2.55 compare
- 170 Turkmenistan -2.72 compare
- 171 North Korea -2.77 compare
- 173 Myanmar -2.95 compare
- 174 Eritrea -2.98 compare
- 175 South Sudan -3.02 compare
More social development data for Belarus
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 40,794 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 19,462 (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 0.0021 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 19,462 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0045 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 key media freedoms in Belarus?
- Key media freedoms in Belarus was -2.82 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest key media freedoms recorded in Belarus?
- The highest recorded value was 0.719 in 1992.
- What is the lowest key media freedoms recorded in Belarus?
- The lowest recorded value was -2.82 in 2021.
- How does Belarus rank for key media freedoms?
- Belarus ranks 172nd out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
- Is key media freedoms rising or falling in Belarus?
- Over the last ten years it is down 75.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Belarus 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 — 126 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.