Key media freedoms in Malawi
Malawi: Key media freedoms was 0.426 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Key media freedoms in Malawi, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 0.426 for key media freedoms in 2025.
That represents a change of down 49.9% on the previous year and down 59.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, key media freedoms in Malawi peaked at 1.42 in 2022 and was at its lowest, -2.74, in 1900.
Malawi ranks 94th of 175 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
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 | -2.74 | -2.74 | -2.74 | 10 |
| 1910s | -2.74 | -2.74 | -2.74 | 10 |
| 1920s | -2.74 | -2.74 | -2.74 | 10 |
| 1930s | -2.74 | -2.74 | -2.74 | 10 |
| 1940s | -2.74 | -2.74 | -2.74 | 10 |
| 1950s | -2.74 | -2.74 | -2.74 | 10 |
| 1960s | -2.42 | -2.73 | -2.14 | 10 |
| 1970s | -2.73 | -2.73 | -2.73 | 10 |
| 1980s | -2.73 | -2.73 | -2.73 | 10 |
| 1990s | -0.6634 | -2.73 | 0.776 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.776 | 0.776 | 0.776 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.9238 | 0.641 | 1.18 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.8825 | 0.426 | 1.42 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More social development data for Malawi
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 35,241 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 551 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Key features of democracy 0.557 (2025)
- Freedom of Expression Index 0.754 (2025)
- Freedom of Association Index 0.767 (2025)
- Electoral Democracy Index 0.557 (2025)
- Participatory Democracy Index 0.366 (2025)
- Liberal Democracy Index 0.462 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is key media freedoms in Malawi?
- Key media freedoms in Malawi was 0.426 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest key media freedoms recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 1.42 in 2022.
- What is the lowest key media freedoms recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was -2.74 in 1900.
- How does Malawi rank for key media freedoms?
- Malawi ranks 94th out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
- Is key media freedoms rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 59.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malawi 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.