Key media freedoms in Turkey
Turkey: Key media freedoms was -2 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
-2
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
159th
of 175 countries
All-time high
1.02
in 1965
All-time low
-2
in 2023
Years of data
126
1900–2025
Key media freedoms in Turkey, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for key media freedoms in Turkey is -2, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 126 years on record.
That represents a change of down 266.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, key media freedoms in Turkey peaked at 1.02 in 1965 and was at its lowest, -2, in 2023.
That places Turkey 159th 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 Turkey, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | -1.89 | — |
| 1901 | -1.89 | -0.0% |
| 1902 | -1.89 | -0.0% |
| 1903 | -1.89 | -0.0% |
| 1904 | -1.89 | -0.0% |
| 1905 | -1.89 | -0.0% |
| 1906 | -1.89 | -0.0% |
| 1907 | -1.89 | -0.0% |
| 1908 | -1.18 | -37.4% |
| 1909 | -0.28 | -76.3% |
| 1910 | -0.28 | -0.0% |
| 1911 | -0.28 | -0.0% |
| 1912 | -0.28 | -0.0% |
| 1913 | -1.21 | +332.9% |
| 1914 | -1.21 | -0.0% |
| 1915 | -1.21 | -0.0% |
| 1916 | -1.21 | -0.0% |
| 1917 | -1.21 | -0.0% |
| 1918 | -1.21 | -0.0% |
| 1919 | -0.61 | -49.7% |
| 1920 | -0.61 | -0.0% |
| 1921 | -0.61 | -0.0% |
| 1922 | -0.61 | -0.0% |
| 1923 | -0.976 | +60.0% |
| 1924 | -0.976 | -0.0% |
| 1925 | -1.18 | +20.4% |
| 1926 | -1.18 | -0.0% |
| 1927 | -1.18 | -0.0% |
| 1928 | -1.18 | -0.0% |
| 1929 | -1.18 | -0.0% |
| 1930 | -1.18 | -0.0% |
| 1931 | -1.18 | -0.0% |
| 1932 | -1.18 | -0.0% |
| 1933 | -1.18 | -0.0% |
| 1934 | -1.18 | -0.0% |
| 1935 | -1.18 | -0.0% |
| 1936 | -1.18 | -0.0% |
| 1937 | -1.18 | -0.0% |
| 1938 | -1.18 | -0.0% |
| 1939 | -1.18 | -0.0% |
| 1940 | -1.18 | -0.0% |
| 1941 | -1.18 | -0.0% |
| 1942 | -1.18 | -0.0% |
| 1943 | -1.18 | -0.0% |
| 1944 | -1.18 | -0.0% |
| 1945 | -1.18 | -0.0% |
| 1946 | -1.18 | -0.0% |
| 1947 | -1.18 | -0.0% |
| 1948 | -1.18 | -0.0% |
| 1949 | -1.18 | -0.0% |
| 1950 | -1.18 | -0.0% |
| 1951 | 0.222 | -118.9% |
| 1952 | 0.222 | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 0.222 | +0.0% |
| 1954 | 0.222 | +0.0% |
| 1955 | 0.222 | +0.0% |
| 1956 | -0.243 | -209.5% |
| 1957 | -0.243 | -0.0% |
| 1958 | -0.243 | -0.0% |
| 1959 | -0.243 | -0.0% |
| 1960 | -0.243 | -0.0% |
| 1961 | 0.566 | -332.9% |
| 1962 | 0.566 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 0.566 | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 0.664 | +17.3% |
| 1965 | 1.02 | +53.8% |
| 1966 | 1.02 | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 1.02 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 1.02 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 1.02 | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 1.02 | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 0.645 | -36.8% |
| 1972 | 0.645 | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 0.726 | +12.6% |
| 1974 | 0.726 | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 0.726 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 0.726 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 0.726 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 0.726 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 0.726 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 0.312 | -57.0% |
| 1981 | -0.951 | -404.8% |
| 1982 | -0.951 | -0.0% |
| 1983 | -0.769 | -19.1% |
| 1984 | 0.32 | -141.6% |
| 1985 | 0.32 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 0.32 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 0.32 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 0.32 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 0.32 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 0.459 | +43.4% |
| 1991 | 0.459 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 0.459 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 0.459 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 0.459 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 0.459 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 0.459 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 0.459 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 0.459 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 0.459 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 0.459 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 0.459 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.704 | +53.4% |
| 2003 | 0.576 | -18.2% |
| 2004 | 0.576 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.576 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 0.576 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 0.576 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 0.35 | -39.2% |
| 2009 | 0.35 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.073 | -79.1% |
| 2011 | 0.073 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 0.081 | +11.0% |
| 2013 | -0.152 | -287.7% |
| 2014 | -0.544 | +257.9% |
| 2015 | -0.544 | -0.0% |
| 2016 | -1.19 | +118.4% |
| 2017 | -1.29 | +8.7% |
| 2018 | -1.13 | -12.5% |
| 2019 | -1.13 | -0.0% |
| 2020 | -1.41 | +24.3% |
| 2021 | -1.41 | -0.0% |
| 2022 | -1.65 | +17.2% |
| 2023 | -2 | +21.1% |
| 2024 | -2 | -0.0% |
| 2025 | -2 | -0.0% |
Turkey compared with similar countries
- Turkey's -2 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.209. (48 countries reporting)
- Turkey's -2 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.973. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | -1.66 | -1.89 | -0.28 | 10 |
| 1910s | -0.8722 | -1.21 | -0.28 | 10 |
| 1920s | -0.9657 | -1.18 | -0.61 | 10 |
| 1930s | -1.18 | -1.18 | -1.18 | 10 |
| 1940s | -1.18 | -1.18 | -1.18 | 10 |
| 1950s | -0.1037 | -1.18 | 0.222 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.7224 | -0.243 | 1.02 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.7393 | 0.645 | 1.02 | 10 |
| 1980s | -0.0439 | -0.951 | 0.32 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.459 | 0.459 | 0.459 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.5202 | 0.35 | 0.704 | 10 |
| 2010s | -0.5752 | -1.29 | 0.081 | 10 |
| 2020s | -1.74 | -2 | -1.41 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Turkey
More social development data for Turkey
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2.39 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 149,405 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 5 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 5 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0017 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 149,405 (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 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is key media freedoms in Turkey?
- Key media freedoms in Turkey was -2 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest key media freedoms recorded in Turkey?
- The highest recorded value was 1.02 in 1965.
- What is the lowest key media freedoms recorded in Turkey?
- The lowest recorded value was -2 in 2023.
- How does Turkey rank for key media freedoms?
- Turkey ranks 159th out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
- Is key media freedoms rising or falling in Turkey?
- Over the last ten years it is down 266.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Turkey 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.