What is press freedom in Ghana?

Press freedom in Ghana was 1 in 2016, according to Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest press freedom recorded in Ghana?

The highest recorded value was 2 in 2001.

What is the lowest press freedom recorded in Ghana?

The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1983.

How does Ghana rank for press freedom?

Ghana ranks 61st out of 194 countries with data for 2016.

Is press freedom rising or falling in Ghana?

Over the last ten years it is down 50.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Ghana 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.

Press freedom in Ghana

Name: Press freedom in Ghana
Creator: Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Ghana: Press freedom was 1 in 2016. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2016)

Change on year

unchanged

World rank

61st

of 194 countries

All-time high

in 2001

All-time low

in 1983

Years of data

1979–2016

Press freedom in Ghana, 1979–2016

Source: Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

Ghana recorded 1 for press freedom in 2016.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 50.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, press freedom in Ghana peaked at 2 in 2001 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1983.

That places Ghana 61st out of 194 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1970s	1	1	1	1
1980s	0.25	0	1	8
1990s	0.3	0	1	10
2000s	1.9	1	2	10
2010s	1.71	1	2	7

Countries ranked near Ghana

See the full ranking of 194 places →

More social development data for Ghana

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 21,050 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 16,030 (2025)
Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
Freedom of Association Index 0.888 (2025)
Human Rights Index 0.912 (2025)
Liberal Democracy Index 0.606 (2025)
Electoral democracy 2 (2025)
Participatory Democracy Index 0.361 (2025)
Key features of human rights 0.912 (2025)

All data for Ghana →

Frequently asked questions

What is press freedom in Ghana?: Press freedom in Ghana was 1 in 2016, according to Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest press freedom recorded in Ghana?: The highest recorded value was 2 in 2001.
What is the lowest press freedom recorded in Ghana?: The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1983.
How does Ghana rank for press freedom?: Ghana ranks 61st out of 194 countries with data for 2016.
Is press freedom rising or falling in Ghana?: Over the last ten years it is down 50.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Ghana 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

CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator: Press freedom
Source: Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 194 places, 6,417 data points, 1979–2016
Last refreshed: 06 August 2026

Based on the classification and data by Freedom House. It captures the legal, political, and economic environment of the press.