Key media freedoms in Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan: Key media freedoms was -2.72 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
-2.72
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
170th
of 175 countries
All-time high
-0.912
in 1900
All-time low
-2.72
in 1997
Years of data
126
1900–2025
Key media freedoms in Turkmenistan, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Turkmenistan recorded -2.72 for key media freedoms in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 126 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, key media freedoms in Turkmenistan peaked at -0.912 in 1900 and was at its lowest, -2.72, in 1997.
That places Turkmenistan 170th out of 175 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 126 years of available data.
Key media freedoms in Turkmenistan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | -0.912 | — |
| 1901 | -0.912 | -0.0% |
| 1902 | -0.912 | -0.0% |
| 1903 | -0.912 | -0.0% |
| 1904 | -0.912 | -0.0% |
| 1905 | -0.912 | -0.0% |
| 1906 | -0.912 | -0.0% |
| 1907 | -0.912 | -0.0% |
| 1908 | -0.912 | -0.0% |
| 1909 | -0.912 | -0.0% |
| 1910 | -0.912 | -0.0% |
| 1911 | -0.912 | -0.0% |
| 1912 | -0.912 | -0.0% |
| 1913 | -0.912 | -0.0% |
| 1914 | -0.912 | -0.0% |
| 1915 | -0.912 | -0.0% |
| 1916 | -0.912 | -0.0% |
| 1917 | -1.58 | +73.2% |
| 1918 | -2.55 | +61.5% |
| 1919 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1920 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1921 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1922 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1923 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1924 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1925 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1926 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1927 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1928 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1929 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1930 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1931 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1932 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1933 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1934 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1935 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1936 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1937 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1938 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1939 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1940 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1941 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1942 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1943 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1944 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1945 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1946 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1947 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1948 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1949 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1950 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1951 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1952 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1953 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1954 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1955 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1956 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1957 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1958 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1959 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1960 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1961 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1962 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1963 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1964 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1965 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1966 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1967 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1968 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1969 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1970 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1971 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1972 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1973 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1974 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1975 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1976 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1977 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1978 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1979 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1980 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1981 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1982 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1983 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1984 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1985 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1986 | -2.55 | -0.0% |
| 1987 | -1.42 | -44.4% |
| 1988 | -1.42 | -0.0% |
| 1989 | -1.19 | -15.9% |
| 1990 | -0.918 | -23.0% |
| 1991 | -1.38 | +50.3% |
| 1992 | -1.38 | -0.0% |
| 1993 | -1.88 | +36.2% |
| 1994 | -1.88 | -0.0% |
| 1995 | -1.88 | -0.0% |
| 1996 | -1.88 | -0.0% |
| 1997 | -2.72 | +44.8% |
| 1998 | -2.72 | -0.0% |
| 1999 | -2.72 | -0.0% |
| 2000 | -2.72 | -0.0% |
| 2001 | -2.72 | -0.0% |
| 2002 | -2.72 | -0.0% |
| 2003 | -2.72 | -0.0% |
| 2004 | -2.72 | -0.0% |
| 2005 | -2.72 | -0.0% |
| 2006 | -2.72 | -0.0% |
| 2007 | -2.72 | -0.0% |
| 2008 | -2.72 | -0.0% |
| 2009 | -2.72 | -0.0% |
| 2010 | -2.72 | -0.0% |
| 2011 | -2.72 | -0.0% |
| 2012 | -2.72 | -0.0% |
| 2013 | -2.72 | -0.0% |
| 2014 | -2.72 | -0.0% |
| 2015 | -2.72 | -0.0% |
| 2016 | -2.72 | -0.0% |
| 2017 | -2.72 | -0.0% |
| 2018 | -2.72 | -0.0% |
| 2019 | -2.72 | -0.0% |
| 2020 | -2.72 | -0.0% |
| 2021 | -2.72 | -0.0% |
| 2022 | -2.72 | -0.0% |
| 2023 | -2.72 | -0.0% |
| 2024 | -2.72 | -0.0% |
| 2025 | -2.72 | -0.0% |
Turkmenistan compared with similar countries
- Turkmenistan's -2.72 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.209. (48 countries reporting)
- Turkmenistan's -2.72 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.973. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | -0.912 | -0.912 | -0.912 | 10 |
| 1910s | -1.31 | -2.55 | -0.912 | 10 |
| 1920s | -2.55 | -2.55 | -2.55 | 10 |
| 1930s | -2.55 | -2.55 | -2.55 | 10 |
| 1940s | -2.55 | -2.55 | -2.55 | 10 |
| 1950s | -2.55 | -2.55 | -2.55 | 10 |
| 1960s | -2.55 | -2.55 | -2.55 | 10 |
| 1970s | -2.55 | -2.55 | -2.55 | 10 |
| 1980s | -2.19 | -2.55 | -1.19 | 10 |
| 1990s | -1.94 | -2.72 | -0.918 | 10 |
| 2000s | -2.72 | -2.72 | -2.72 | 10 |
| 2010s | -2.72 | -2.72 | -2.72 | 10 |
| 2020s | -2.72 | -2.72 | -2.72 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Turkmenistan
- 167 Azerbaijan -2.27 compare
- 168 China -2.42 compare
- 169 Afghanistan -2.55 compare
- 171 North Korea -2.77 compare
- 172 Belarus -2.82 compare
- 173 Myanmar -2.95 compare
More social development data for Turkmenistan
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 9 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1,864 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 7 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0002 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1,864 (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 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is key media freedoms in Turkmenistan?
- Key media freedoms in Turkmenistan was -2.72 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest key media freedoms recorded in Turkmenistan?
- The highest recorded value was -0.912 in 1900.
- What is the lowest key media freedoms recorded in Turkmenistan?
- The lowest recorded value was -2.72 in 1997.
- How does Turkmenistan rank for key media freedoms?
- Turkmenistan ranks 170th out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
- Is key media freedoms rising or falling in Turkmenistan?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Turkmenistan 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.