Key media freedoms in Myanmar
Myanmar: Key media freedoms was -2.95 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
-2.95
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
173rd
of 175 countries
All-time high
1.02
in 2019
All-time low
-2.95
in 2021
Years of data
126
1900–2025
Key media freedoms in Myanmar, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, key media freedoms in Myanmar stood at -2.95. That is the lowest value across all 126 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 578.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, key media freedoms in Myanmar peaked at 1.02 in 2019 and was at its lowest, -2.95, in 2021.
That places Myanmar 173rd out of 175 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Key media freedoms in Myanmar, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | -0.179 | — |
| 1901 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1902 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1903 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1904 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1905 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1906 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1907 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1908 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1909 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1910 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1911 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1912 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1913 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1914 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1915 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1916 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1917 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1918 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1919 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1920 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1921 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1922 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1923 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1924 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1925 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1926 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1927 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1928 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1929 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1930 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1931 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1932 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1933 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1934 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1935 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1936 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1937 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1938 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1939 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1940 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1941 | -0.179 | -0.0% |
| 1942 | -1.52 | +751.4% |
| 1943 | -1.52 | -0.0% |
| 1944 | -1.52 | -0.0% |
| 1945 | -0.578 | -62.1% |
| 1946 | 0.097 | -116.8% |
| 1947 | 0.097 | +0.0% |
| 1948 | 0.444 | +357.7% |
| 1949 | 0.444 | +0.0% |
| 1950 | 0.444 | +0.0% |
| 1951 | 0.444 | +0.0% |
| 1952 | 0.444 | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 0.444 | +0.0% |
| 1954 | 0.444 | +0.0% |
| 1955 | 0.444 | +0.0% |
| 1956 | 0.444 | +0.0% |
| 1957 | 0.444 | +0.0% |
| 1958 | 0.074 | -83.3% |
| 1959 | 0.074 | +0.0% |
| 1960 | 0.074 | +0.0% |
| 1961 | 0.074 | +0.0% |
| 1962 | -2.08 | -2912.2% |
| 1963 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 1964 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 1965 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 1966 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 1967 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 1968 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 1969 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 1970 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 1971 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 1972 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 1973 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 1974 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 1975 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 1976 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 1977 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 1978 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 1979 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 1980 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 1981 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 1982 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 1983 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 1984 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 1985 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 1986 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 1987 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 1988 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 1989 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 1990 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 1991 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 1992 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 1993 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 1994 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 1995 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 1996 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 1997 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 1998 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 1999 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 2000 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 2001 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 2002 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 2003 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 2004 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 2005 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 2006 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 2007 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 2008 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 2009 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 2010 | -2.08 | -0.0% |
| 2011 | -0.706 | -66.1% |
| 2012 | -0.129 | -81.7% |
| 2013 | -0.115 | -10.9% |
| 2014 | 0.002 | -101.7% |
| 2015 | 0.617 | +30750.0% |
| 2016 | 0.652 | +5.7% |
| 2017 | 0.652 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 0.652 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 1.02 | +57.1% |
| 2020 | 1.02 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | -2.95 | -388.5% |
| 2022 | -2.95 | -0.0% |
| 2023 | -2.95 | -0.0% |
| 2024 | -2.95 | -0.0% |
| 2025 | -2.95 | -0.0% |
Myanmar compared with similar countries
- Myanmar's -2.95 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.292. (46 countries reporting)
- Myanmar's -2.95 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.3835. (22 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | -0.179 | -0.179 | -0.179 | 10 |
| 1910s | -0.179 | -0.179 | -0.179 | 10 |
| 1920s | -0.179 | -0.179 | -0.179 | 10 |
| 1930s | -0.179 | -0.179 | -0.179 | 10 |
| 1940s | -0.4426 | -1.52 | 0.444 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.37 | 0.074 | 0.444 | 10 |
| 1960s | -1.65 | -2.08 | 0.074 | 10 |
| 1970s | -2.08 | -2.08 | -2.08 | 10 |
| 1980s | -2.08 | -2.08 | -2.08 | 10 |
| 1990s | -2.08 | -2.08 | -2.08 | 10 |
| 2000s | -2.08 | -2.08 | -2.08 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0568 | -2.08 | 1.02 | 10 |
| 2020s | -2.29 | -2.95 | 1.02 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Myanmar
- 170 Turkmenistan -2.72 compare
- 171 North Korea -2.77 compare
- 172 Belarus -2.82 compare
- 174 Eritrea -2.98 compare
- 175 South Sudan -3.02 compare
More social development data for Myanmar
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1.52 million (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 0.0278 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1.52 million (2025)
- Sovereign state gleditsch ward, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 15.27 % change on previous year (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 Myanmar?
- Key media freedoms in Myanmar was -2.95 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest key media freedoms recorded in Myanmar?
- The highest recorded value was 1.02 in 2019.
- What is the lowest key media freedoms recorded in Myanmar?
- The lowest recorded value was -2.95 in 2021.
- How does Myanmar rank for key media freedoms?
- Myanmar ranks 173rd out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
- Is key media freedoms rising or falling in Myanmar?
- Over the last ten years it is down 578.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Myanmar 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.