Key media freedoms in France
France: Key media freedoms was 2.31 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Key media freedoms in France, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
France recorded 2.31 for key media freedoms in 2025.
That represents a change of up 5.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, key media freedoms in France peaked at 2.7 in 1900 and was at its lowest, -2.4, in 1940.
That places France 17th out of 175 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 10 |
| 1910s | 1.24 | 0.211 | 2.7 | 10 |
| 1920s | 1.78 | 1.46 | 2.1 | 10 |
| 1930s | 1.46 | 1.33 | 1.57 | 10 |
| 1940s | -0.644 | -2.4 | 1.56 | 10 |
| 1950s | 1.03 | 0.09 | 1.56 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.424 | 0.09 | 1.58 | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.58 | 1.58 | 1.58 | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.11 | 1.58 | 2.24 | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.24 | 2.24 | 2.24 | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.24 | 2.24 | 2.24 | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.2 | 2.18 | 2.24 | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.23 | 2.18 | 2.31 | 6 |
Countries ranked near France
More social development data for France
- Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 788,419 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 166 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Key features of democracy 0.865 (2025)
- Freedom of Expression Index 0.959 (2025)
- Freedom of Association Index 0.889 (2025)
- Electoral Democracy Index 0.865 (2025)
- Participatory Democracy Index 0.597 (2025)
- Liberal Democracy Index 0.8 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is key media freedoms in France?
- Key media freedoms in France was 2.31 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest key media freedoms recorded in France?
- The highest recorded value was 2.7 in 1900.
- What is the lowest key media freedoms recorded in France?
- The lowest recorded value was -2.4 in 1940.
- How does France rank for key media freedoms?
- France ranks 17th out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
- Is key media freedoms rising or falling in France?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this France 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.