Key media freedoms in Guatemala
Guatemala: Key media freedoms was 1.73 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Key media freedoms in Guatemala, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, key media freedoms in Guatemala stood at 1.73. That is the highest value across all 126 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 30.0% on the previous year and up 62.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, key media freedoms in Guatemala peaked at 1.73 in 2025 and was at its lowest, -2.06, in 1931.
That places Guatemala 35th out of 175 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
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 | -1.38 | -1.38 | -1.38 | 10 |
| 1910s | -1.38 | -1.38 | -1.38 | 10 |
| 1920s | -1.1 | -1.1 | -1.1 | 10 |
| 1930s | -1.99 | -2.06 | -1.37 | 10 |
| 1940s | -0.3331 | -2.06 | 0.969 | 10 |
| 1950s | -0.2361 | -1.37 | 0.969 | 10 |
| 1960s | -1.26 | -1.37 | -1.09 | 10 |
| 1970s | -1.26 | -1.37 | -1.09 | 10 |
| 1980s | -0.6678 | -1.37 | 0.064 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.4831 | 0.064 | 0.879 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.8636 | 0.719 | 0.882 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.9066 | 0.826 | 1.06 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.5258 | -0.517 | 1.73 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Guatemala
More social development data for Guatemala
- Political Rights Rating 4 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 1,586 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 34,994 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Key features of democracy 0.637 (2025)
- Freedom of Expression Index 0.839 (2025)
- Freedom of Association Index 0.834 (2025)
- Electoral Democracy Index 0.637 (2025)
- Participatory Democracy Index 0.421 (2025)
- Liberal Democracy Index 0.523 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is key media freedoms in Guatemala?
- Key media freedoms in Guatemala was 1.73 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest key media freedoms recorded in Guatemala?
- The highest recorded value was 1.73 in 2025.
- What is the lowest key media freedoms recorded in Guatemala?
- The lowest recorded value was -2.06 in 1931.
- How does Guatemala rank for key media freedoms?
- Guatemala ranks 35th out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
- Is key media freedoms rising or falling in Guatemala?
- Over the last ten years it is up 62.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Guatemala 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.