Key media freedoms in East Timor
East Timor: Key media freedoms was 1.19 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
1.19
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
59th
of 175 countries
All-time high
1.27
in 2018
All-time low
-2.23
in 1900
Years of data
126
1900–2025
Key media freedoms in East Timor, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, key media freedoms in East Timor stood at 1.19.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 26.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, key media freedoms in East Timor peaked at 1.27 in 2018 and was at its lowest, -2.23, in 1900.
East Timor ranks 59th 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.
Key media freedoms in East Timor, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | -2.23 | — |
| 1901 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1902 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1903 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1904 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1905 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1906 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1907 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1908 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1909 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1910 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1911 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1912 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1913 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1914 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1915 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1916 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1917 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1918 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1919 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1920 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1921 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1922 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1923 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1924 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1925 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1926 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1927 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1928 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1929 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1930 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1931 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1932 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1933 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1934 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1935 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1936 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1937 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1938 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1939 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1940 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1941 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1942 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1943 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1944 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1945 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1946 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1947 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1948 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1949 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1950 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1951 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1952 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1953 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1954 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1955 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1956 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1957 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1958 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1959 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1960 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1961 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1962 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1963 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1964 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1965 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1966 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1967 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1968 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1969 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1970 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1971 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1972 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1973 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1974 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1975 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1976 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1977 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1978 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1979 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1980 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1981 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1982 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1983 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1984 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1985 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1986 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1987 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1988 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1989 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1990 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1991 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1992 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1993 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1994 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1995 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1996 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1997 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1998 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 1999 | -2.23 | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 1.16 | -152.1% |
| 2001 | 1.16 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 1.16 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 1.16 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 1.16 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 1.16 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 1.16 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 1.04 | -9.9% |
| 2008 | 0.974 | -6.8% |
| 2009 | 0.974 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 1.05 | +7.7% |
| 2011 | 1.05 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 1.05 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 1.05 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 1.05 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 0.94 | -10.4% |
| 2016 | 0.652 | -30.6% |
| 2017 | 0.695 | +6.6% |
| 2018 | 1.27 | +83.3% |
| 2019 | 1.27 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 0.198 | -84.5% |
| 2021 | 1.01 | +410.1% |
| 2022 | 1.01 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 1.19 | +17.5% |
| 2024 | 1.19 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 1.19 | +0.0% |
East Timor compared with similar countries
- East Timor's 1.19 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.292, 4.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- East Timor's 1.19 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.3835, 3.1× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | -2.23 | -2.23 | -2.23 | 10 |
| 1910s | -2.23 | -2.23 | -2.23 | 10 |
| 1920s | -2.23 | -2.23 | -2.23 | 10 |
| 1930s | -2.23 | -2.23 | -2.23 | 10 |
| 1940s | -2.23 | -2.23 | -2.23 | 10 |
| 1950s | -2.23 | -2.23 | -2.23 | 10 |
| 1960s | -2.23 | -2.23 | -2.23 | 10 |
| 1970s | -2.23 | -2.23 | -2.23 | 10 |
| 1980s | -2.23 | -2.23 | -2.23 | 10 |
| 1990s | -2.23 | -2.23 | -2.23 | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.11 | 0.974 | 1.16 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.01 | 0.652 | 1.27 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.9632 | 0.198 | 1.19 | 6 |
Countries ranked near East Timor
More social development data for East Timor
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 (2015)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 15 (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 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 15 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2015)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2015)
Frequently asked questions
- What is key media freedoms in East Timor?
- Key media freedoms in East Timor was 1.19 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest key media freedoms recorded in East Timor?
- The highest recorded value was 1.27 in 2018.
- What is the lowest key media freedoms recorded in East Timor?
- The lowest recorded value was -2.23 in 1900.
- How does East Timor rank for key media freedoms?
- East Timor ranks 59th out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
- Is key media freedoms rising or falling in East Timor?
- Over the last ten years it is up 26.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this East Timor 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.