Key media freedoms in Pakistan
Pakistan: Key media freedoms was -0.164 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Key media freedoms in Pakistan, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Pakistan recorded -0.164 for key media freedoms in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 63.3% on the previous year and down 122.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, key media freedoms in Pakistan peaked at 1.71 in 2009 and was at its lowest, -1.02, in 1978.
Pakistan ranks 112th 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 | -0.629 | -0.629 | -0.629 | 10 |
| 1910s | -0.629 | -0.629 | -0.629 | 10 |
| 1920s | -0.629 | -0.629 | -0.629 | 10 |
| 1930s | -0.616 | -0.629 | -0.603 | 10 |
| 1940s | -0.3325 | -0.645 | 0.388 | 10 |
| 1950s | -0.3884 | -0.774 | -0.292 | 10 |
| 1960s | -0.774 | -0.774 | -0.774 | 10 |
| 1970s | -0.293 | -1.02 | 0.203 | 10 |
| 1980s | -0.718 | -1.02 | 1 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.9753 | 0.744 | 1 | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.13 | 0.929 | 1.71 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.8668 | -0.177 | 1.69 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.0945 | -0.447 | 0.716 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
More social development data for Pakistan
- Political Rights Rating 5 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 1.16 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 90,497 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Key features of democracy 0.302 (2025)
- Freedom of Expression Index 0.559 (2025)
- Freedom of Association Index 0.495 (2025)
- Electoral Democracy Index 0.302 (2025)
- Participatory Democracy Index 0.192 (2025)
- Liberal Democracy Index 0.176 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is key media freedoms in Pakistan?
- Key media freedoms in Pakistan was -0.164 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest key media freedoms recorded in Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 1.71 in 2009.
- What is the lowest key media freedoms recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.02 in 1978.
- How does Pakistan rank for key media freedoms?
- Pakistan ranks 112th out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
- Is key media freedoms rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 122.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Pakistan 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.