Key media freedoms in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Key media freedoms was 1.28 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
1.28
Change on year
down 21.7%
World rank
52nd
of 175 countries
All-time high
2.92
in 2020
All-time low
1.09
in 1939
Years of data
126
1900–2025
Key media freedoms in United Kingdom, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for key media freedoms in United Kingdom is 1.28, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 21.7% on the previous year and down 48.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, key media freedoms in United Kingdom peaked at 2.92 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 1.09, in 1939.
That places United Kingdom 52nd out of 175 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 126 years of available data.
Key media freedoms in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 1.94 | — |
| 1901 | 1.94 | +0.0% |
| 1902 | 1.94 | +0.0% |
| 1903 | 1.94 | +0.0% |
| 1904 | 1.94 | +0.0% |
| 1905 | 1.94 | +0.0% |
| 1906 | 1.94 | +0.0% |
| 1907 | 1.94 | +0.0% |
| 1908 | 1.94 | +0.0% |
| 1909 | 1.94 | +0.0% |
| 1910 | 1.94 | +0.0% |
| 1911 | 1.94 | +0.0% |
| 1912 | 1.94 | +0.0% |
| 1913 | 1.94 | +0.0% |
| 1914 | 1.19 | -38.5% |
| 1915 | 1.19 | +0.0% |
| 1916 | 1.19 | +0.0% |
| 1917 | 1.19 | +0.0% |
| 1918 | 1.19 | +0.0% |
| 1919 | 1.94 | +63.0% |
| 1920 | 1.94 | +0.0% |
| 1921 | 1.94 | +0.0% |
| 1922 | 1.94 | +0.0% |
| 1923 | 1.94 | +0.0% |
| 1924 | 1.94 | +0.0% |
| 1925 | 1.94 | +0.0% |
| 1926 | 1.94 | +0.0% |
| 1927 | 1.94 | +0.0% |
| 1928 | 1.94 | +0.0% |
| 1929 | 1.94 | +0.0% |
| 1930 | 1.94 | +0.0% |
| 1931 | 1.94 | +0.0% |
| 1932 | 1.94 | +0.0% |
| 1933 | 1.94 | +0.0% |
| 1934 | 1.94 | +0.0% |
| 1935 | 1.94 | +0.0% |
| 1936 | 1.94 | +0.0% |
| 1937 | 1.94 | +0.0% |
| 1938 | 1.94 | +0.0% |
| 1939 | 1.09 | -43.7% |
| 1940 | 1.09 | +0.0% |
| 1941 | 1.09 | +0.0% |
| 1942 | 1.09 | +0.0% |
| 1943 | 1.09 | +0.0% |
| 1944 | 1.09 | +0.0% |
| 1945 | 1.09 | +0.0% |
| 1946 | 1.48 | +35.3% |
| 1947 | 1.77 | +19.9% |
| 1948 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1949 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1950 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1951 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1952 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1954 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1955 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1956 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1957 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1958 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1959 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1960 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1961 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 1.77 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 2.77 | +56.6% |
| 2002 | 2.77 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 2.77 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 2.77 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 2.77 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 2.77 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 2.77 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 2.77 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 2.77 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 2.77 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 2.77 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 2.48 | -10.8% |
| 2013 | 2.48 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 2.48 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 2.48 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 2.48 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 2.48 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 2.48 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 2.48 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 2.92 | +17.9% |
| 2021 | 2.42 | -16.9% |
| 2022 | 1.63 | -32.6% |
| 2023 | 1.63 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 1.63 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 1.28 | -21.7% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 1.28 is below the median for high income countries, which is 1.28, 100% of the median. (55 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 1.28 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.973, 1.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 1.94 | 1.94 | 1.94 | 10 |
| 1910s | 1.56 | 1.19 | 1.94 | 10 |
| 1920s | 1.94 | 1.94 | 1.94 | 10 |
| 1930s | 1.86 | 1.09 | 1.94 | 10 |
| 1940s | 1.33 | 1.09 | 1.77 | 10 |
| 1950s | 1.77 | 1.77 | 1.77 | 10 |
| 1960s | 1.77 | 1.77 | 1.77 | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.77 | 1.77 | 1.77 | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.77 | 1.77 | 1.77 | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.77 | 1.77 | 1.77 | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.67 | 1.77 | 2.77 | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.54 | 2.48 | 2.77 | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.92 | 1.28 | 2.92 | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More social development data for United Kingdom
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 581,072 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 517 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 1 (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 517 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0084 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 United Kingdom?
- Key media freedoms in United Kingdom was 1.28 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest key media freedoms recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 2.92 in 2020.
- What is the lowest key media freedoms recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.09 in 1939.
- How does United Kingdom rank for key media freedoms?
- United Kingdom ranks 52nd out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
- Is key media freedoms rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 48.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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.