Press freedom in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Press freedom was 0 in 2016. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2016)
0
World rank
131st
of 194 countries
All-time high
1
in 1994
All-time low
0
in 1979
Years of data
36
1979–2016
Press freedom in Ethiopia, 1979–2016
Source: Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for press freedom in Ethiopia is 0, measured in 2016. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
Over the whole period, press freedom in Ethiopia peaked at 1 in 1994 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1979.
Ethiopia ranks 131st of 194 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.
Press freedom in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 0 | — |
| 1980 | 0 | — |
| 1982 | 0 | — |
| 1983 | 0 | — |
| 1984 | 0 | — |
| 1985 | 0 | — |
| 1986 | 0 | — |
| 1987 | 0 | — |
| 1988 | 0 | — |
| 1990 | 0 | — |
| 1991 | 0 | — |
| 1992 | 0 | — |
| 1993 | 0 | — |
| 1994 | 1 | — |
| 1995 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 1997 | 0 | — |
| 1998 | 0 | — |
| 1999 | 0 | — |
| 2000 | 0 | — |
| 2001 | 0 | — |
| 2002 | 0 | — |
| 2003 | 0 | — |
| 2004 | 0 | — |
| 2005 | 0 | — |
| 2006 | 0 | — |
| 2007 | 0 | — |
| 2008 | 0 | — |
| 2009 | 0 | — |
| 2010 | 0 | — |
| 2011 | 0 | — |
| 2012 | 0 | — |
| 2013 | 0 | — |
| 2014 | 0 | — |
| 2015 | 0 | — |
| 2016 | 0 | — |
Ethiopia compared with similar countries
- Ethiopia's 0 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1980s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 1990s | 0.2 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
- 131 Algeria 0 compare
- 131 Angola 0
- 131 Armenia 0 compare
- 131 Azerbaijan 0
- 131 Bahrain 0 compare
- 131 Bangladesh 0 compare
- 131 Belarus 0 compare
- 131 Brunei 0
- 131 Burundi 0
- 131 Cambodia 0 compare
- 131 Cameroon 0
- 131 Central African Republic 0 compare
- 131 Chad 0
- 131 China 0
- 131 Cuba 0
- 131 Democratic Republic of Congo 0 compare
- 131 Djibouti 0 compare
- 131 Ecuador 0 compare
- 131 Egypt 0 compare
- 131 Equatorial Guinea 0
- 131 Eritrea 0
- 131 Eswatini 0 compare
- 131 Gabon 0 compare
- 131 Gambia 0 compare
- 131 Guinea 0 compare
- 131 Honduras 0 compare
- 131 Iran 0 compare
- 131 Iraq 0
- 131 Jordan 0 compare
- 131 Kazakhstan 0 compare
- 131 Kyrgyzstan 0 compare
- 131 Laos 0
- 131 Libya 0 compare
- 131 Malaysia 0 compare
- 131 Maldives 0 compare
- 131 Mexico 0 compare
- 131 Morocco 0 compare
- 131 Myanmar 0
- 131 North Korea 0
- 131 North Macedonia 0 compare
- 131 Oman 0
- 131 Pakistan 0 compare
- 131 Qatar 0 compare
- 131 Russia 0 compare
- 131 Rwanda 0
- 131 Saudi Arabia 0
- 131 Singapore 0 compare
- 131 Somalia 0
- 131 South Sudan 0 compare
- 131 Sri Lanka 0 compare
- 131 Sudan 0 compare
- 131 Syria 0
- 131 Tajikistan 0
- 131 Thailand 0 compare
- 131 Turkey 0 compare
- 131 Turkmenistan 0
- 131 United Arab Emirates 0
- 131 Uzbekistan 0
- 131 Venezuela 0 compare
- 131 Vietnam 0
- 131 Yemen 0 compare
- 131 Zambia 0 compare
- 131 Zimbabwe 0 compare
More social development data for Ethiopia
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1.01 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 164,215 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 6 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 6 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0012 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 164,215 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0075 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 press freedom in Ethiopia?
- Press freedom in Ethiopia was 0 in 2016, according to Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest press freedom recorded in Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 1 in 1994.
- What is the lowest press freedom recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1979.
- How does Ethiopia rank for press freedom?
- Ethiopia ranks 131st out of 194 countries with data for 2016.
- Where does this Ethiopia data come from?
- The figures come from Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Press freedom. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Based on the classification and data by Freedom House. It captures the legal, political, and economic environment of the press.