What is key media freedoms in New Zealand?

Key media freedoms in New Zealand 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 New Zealand?

The highest recorded value was 2.95 in 2024.

What is the lowest key media freedoms recorded in New Zealand?

The lowest recorded value was 1.11 in 1915.

How does New Zealand rank for key media freedoms?

New Zealand ranks 9th out of 175 countries with data for 2025.

Is key media freedoms rising or falling in New Zealand?

Over the last ten years it is up 7.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Where does this New Zealand 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.

Key media freedoms in New Zealand

Name: Key media freedoms in New Zealand
Creator: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

New Zealand: Key media freedoms was 2.95 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)

2.95

Change on year

unchanged

World rank

9th

of 175 countries

All-time high

2.95

in 2024

All-time low

1.11

in 1915

Years of data

126

1900–2025

Key media freedoms in New Zealand, 1900–2025

Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2025, key media freedoms in New Zealand stood at 2.95. That is the highest value across all 126 years on record.

That represents a change of up 7.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, key media freedoms in New Zealand peaked at 2.95 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 1.11, in 1915.

That places New Zealand 9th out of 175 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 126 years of available data.

Key media freedoms in New Zealand, year by year

Annual values for Key media freedoms in New Zealand, 1900 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1900	2.22	—
1901	2.22	+0.0%
1902	2.22	+0.0%
1903	2.22	+0.0%
1904	2.22	+0.0%
1905	2.22	+0.0%
1906	2.22	+0.0%
1907	2.22	+0.0%
1908	2.22	+0.0%
1909	2.22	+0.0%
1910	2.22	+0.0%
1911	2.22	+0.0%
1912	1.5	-32.5%
1913	1.5	+0.0%
1914	1.76	+17.5%
1915	1.11	-37.2%
1916	1.11	+0.0%
1917	1.11	+0.0%
1918	1.11	+0.0%
1919	1.48	+33.6%
1920	2.22	+49.9%
1921	2.22	+0.0%
1922	2.22	+0.0%
1923	2.22	+0.0%
1924	2.22	+0.0%
1925	2.22	+0.0%
1926	2.22	+0.0%
1927	2.22	+0.0%
1928	2.22	+0.0%
1929	2.22	+0.0%
1930	2.22	+0.0%
1931	2.22	+0.0%
1932	1.46	-34.2%
1933	2.2	+50.6%
1934	2.2	+0.0%
1935	1.46	-33.5%
1936	1.3	-11.2%
1937	1.3	+0.0%
1938	1.3	+0.0%
1939	1.3	+0.0%
1940	1.11	-14.5%
1941	1.11	+0.0%
1942	1.11	+0.0%
1943	1.11	+0.0%
1944	1.11	+0.0%
1945	1.11	+0.0%
1946	1.71	+54.2%
1947	1.71	+0.0%
1948	1.71	+0.0%
1949	1.71	+0.0%
1950	1.71	+0.0%
1951	1.34	-21.7%
1952	1.56	+16.0%
1953	1.56	+0.0%
1954	1.99	+27.7%
1955	2.48	+24.6%
1956	2.48	+0.0%
1957	2.48	+0.0%
1958	2.48	+0.0%
1959	2.48	+0.0%
1960	2.48	+0.0%
1961	2.48	+0.0%
1962	2.48	+0.0%
1963	2.48	+0.0%
1964	2.48	+0.0%
1965	2.48	+0.0%
1966	2.48	+0.0%
1967	2.48	+0.0%
1968	2.48	+0.0%
1969	2.48	+0.0%
1970	2.75	+11.0%
1971	2.75	+0.0%
1972	2.75	+0.0%
1973	2.75	+0.0%
1974	2.75	+0.0%
1975	2.75	+0.0%
1976	2.75	+0.0%
1977	2.75	+0.0%
1978	2.75	+0.0%
1979	2.75	+0.0%
1980	2.75	+0.0%
1981	2.75	+0.0%
1982	2.75	+0.0%
1983	2.75	+0.0%
1984	2.75	+0.0%
1985	2.75	+0.0%
1986	2.75	+0.0%
1987	2.75	+0.0%
1988	2.75	+0.0%
1989	2.75	+0.0%
1990	2.75	+0.0%
1991	2.75	+0.0%
1992	2.75	+0.0%
1993	2.75	+0.0%
1994	2.75	+0.0%
1995	2.75	+0.0%
1996	2.75	+0.0%
1997	2.75	+0.0%
1998	2.75	+0.0%
1999	2.75	+0.0%
2000	2.75	+0.0%
2001	2.75	+0.0%
2002	2.75	+0.0%
2003	2.75	+0.0%
2004	2.75	+0.0%
2005	2.75	+0.0%
2006	2.75	+0.0%
2007	2.75	+0.0%
2008	2.75	+0.0%
2009	2.75	+0.0%
2010	2.75	+0.0%
2011	2.75	+0.0%
2012	2.75	+0.0%
2013	2.75	+0.0%
2014	2.75	+0.0%
2015	2.75	+0.0%
2016	2.75	+0.0%
2017	2.75	+0.0%
2018	2.75	+0.0%
2019	2.75	+0.0%
2020	2.75	+0.0%
2021	2.22	-19.2%
2022	2.22	+0.0%
2023	2.22	+0.0%
2024	2.95	+32.6%
2025	2.95	+0.0%

New Zealand compared with similar countries

New Zealand's 2.95 is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.28, 2.3× the median. (55 countries reporting)
New Zealand's 2.95 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.3835, 7.7× the median. (22 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1900s	2.22	2.22	2.22	10
1910s	1.51	1.11	2.22	10
1920s	2.22	2.22	2.22	10
1930s	1.69	1.3	2.22	10
1940s	1.35	1.11	1.71	10
1950s	2.05	1.34	2.48	10
1960s	2.48	2.48	2.48	10
1970s	2.75	2.75	2.75	10
1980s	2.75	2.75	2.75	10
1990s	2.75	2.75	2.75	10
2000s	2.75	2.75	2.75	10
2010s	2.75	2.75	2.75	10
2020s	2.55	2.22	2.95	6

Countries ranked near New Zealand

6 Ireland 3.04 compare
7 Canada 3.02 compare
8 Brazil 2.96 compare
10 Iceland 2.85 compare
11 Sweden 2.75 compare
12 Finland 2.74 compare

See the full ranking of 175 places →

More social development data for New Zealand

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2,148 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 58 (2025)
Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 1 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 58 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0004 units per person (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)

All data for New Zealand →

Frequently asked questions

What is key media freedoms in New Zealand?: Key media freedoms in New Zealand 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 New Zealand?: The highest recorded value was 2.95 in 2024.
What is the lowest key media freedoms recorded in New Zealand?: The lowest recorded value was 1.11 in 1915.
How does New Zealand rank for key media freedoms?: New Zealand ranks 9th out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
Is key media freedoms rising or falling in New Zealand?: Over the last ten years it is up 7.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this New Zealand 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.

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Key media freedoms in New Zealand. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 08 November 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/key-media-freedoms/new-zealand/

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About this data

Indicator: Key media freedoms
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 175 places, 21,793 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 30 October 2026

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.