Key media freedoms in Panama
Panama: Key media freedoms was 0.827 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
0.827
Change on year
down 4.9%
World rank
73rd
of 175 countries
All-time high
1.66
in 2015
All-time low
-2.49
in 1968
Years of data
123
1903–2025
Key media freedoms in Panama, 1903–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Panama recorded 0.827 for key media freedoms in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.9% on the previous year and down 50.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, key media freedoms in Panama peaked at 1.66 in 2015 and was at its lowest, -2.49, in 1968.
That places Panama 73rd out of 175 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Key media freedoms in Panama, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1903 | 0.312 | — |
| 1904 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1905 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1906 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1907 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1908 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1909 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1910 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1911 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1912 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1913 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1914 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1915 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1916 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1917 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1918 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1919 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1920 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1921 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1922 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1923 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1924 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1925 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1926 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1927 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1928 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1929 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1930 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1931 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1932 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1933 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1934 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1935 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1936 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1937 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1938 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1939 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1940 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1941 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1942 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1943 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1944 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1945 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1946 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1947 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1948 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1949 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1950 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1951 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1952 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1954 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1955 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1956 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1957 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1958 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1959 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1960 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1961 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1967 | -0.056 | -117.9% |
| 1968 | -2.49 | +4339.3% |
| 1969 | -2.49 | -0.0% |
| 1970 | -2.49 | -0.0% |
| 1971 | -2.49 | -0.0% |
| 1972 | -2.49 | -0.0% |
| 1973 | -2.49 | -0.0% |
| 1974 | -2.49 | -0.0% |
| 1975 | -2.49 | -0.0% |
| 1976 | -2.49 | -0.0% |
| 1977 | -2.49 | -0.0% |
| 1978 | -2.49 | -0.0% |
| 1979 | -2.49 | -0.0% |
| 1980 | -2.49 | -0.0% |
| 1981 | -2.49 | -0.0% |
| 1982 | -2.49 | -0.0% |
| 1983 | -2.49 | -0.0% |
| 1984 | -2.49 | -0.0% |
| 1985 | -2.49 | -0.0% |
| 1986 | -2.49 | -0.0% |
| 1987 | -2.49 | -0.0% |
| 1988 | -2.49 | -0.0% |
| 1989 | -2.49 | -0.0% |
| 1990 | 1.66 | -166.6% |
| 1991 | 1.66 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 1.66 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 1.66 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 1.53 | -7.6% |
| 1995 | 1.53 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 1.53 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 1.53 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 1.53 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 1.53 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 1.53 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 1.53 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 1.53 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 1.53 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 1.53 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 1.53 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 1.53 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 1.53 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 1.53 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 1.06 | -30.6% |
| 2010 | 1.06 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 1.06 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 1.06 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 1.06 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 1.06 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 1.66 | +56.1% |
| 2016 | 1.66 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 1.18 | -28.7% |
| 2018 | 1.18 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 1.18 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 0.73 | -38.1% |
| 2021 | 0.659 | -9.7% |
| 2022 | 0.723 | +9.7% |
| 2023 | 0.657 | -9.1% |
| 2024 | 0.87 | +32.4% |
| 2025 | 0.827 | -4.9% |
Panama compared with similar countries
- Panama's 0.827 is below the median for high income countries, which is 1.28, 64% of the median. (55 countries reporting)
- Panama's 0.827 is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 1.25, 66% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0.312 | 0.312 | 0.312 | 7 |
| 1910s | 0.312 | 0.312 | 0.312 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.312 | 0.312 | 0.312 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.312 | 0.312 | 0.312 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.312 | 0.312 | 0.312 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.312 | 0.312 | 0.312 | 10 |
| 1960s | -0.2844 | -2.49 | 0.312 | 10 |
| 1970s | -2.49 | -2.49 | -2.49 | 10 |
| 1980s | -2.49 | -2.49 | -2.49 | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.58 | 1.53 | 1.66 | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.48 | 1.06 | 1.53 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.22 | 1.06 | 1.66 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.7443 | 0.657 | 0.87 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Panama
More social development data for Panama
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2,694 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 375 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0001 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 375 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0006 units per person (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 Panama?
- Key media freedoms in Panama was 0.827 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest key media freedoms recorded in Panama?
- The highest recorded value was 1.66 in 2015.
- What is the lowest key media freedoms recorded in Panama?
- The lowest recorded value was -2.49 in 1968.
- How does Panama rank for key media freedoms?
- Panama ranks 73rd out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
- Is key media freedoms rising or falling in Panama?
- Over the last ten years it is down 50.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Panama 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 — 123 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.