What is press freedom in Italy?

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

What is the highest press freedom recorded in Italy?

The highest recorded value was 2 in 1979.

What is the lowest press freedom recorded in Italy?

The lowest recorded value was 1 in 2003.

How does Italy rank for press freedom?

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

Is press freedom rising or falling in Italy?

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

Where does this Italy 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 Italy

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

Italy: Press freedom was 1 in 2016. ▼ Falling

Latest (2016)

Change on year

unchanged

World rank

61st

of 194 countries

All-time high

in 1979

All-time low

in 2003

Years of data

1979–2016

Press freedom in Italy, 1979–2016

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for press freedom in Italy is 1, measured in 2016. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.

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

Over the whole period, press freedom in Italy peaked at 2 in 1979 and was at its lowest, 1, in 2003.

Italy ranks 61st of 194 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1970s	2	2	2	1
1980s	2	2	2	8
1990s	2	2	2	10
2000s	1.5	1	2	10
2010s	1	1	1	7

Countries ranked near Italy

See the full ranking of 194 places →

More social development data for Italy

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 192,914 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 266 (2025)
Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
Freedom of Association Index 0.875 (2025)
Human Rights Index 0.9 (2025)
Liberal Democracy Index 0.642 (2025)
Electoral democracy 2 (2025)
Participatory Democracy Index 0.569 (2025)
Key features of human rights 0.9 (2025)

All data for Italy →

Frequently asked questions

What is press freedom in Italy?: Press freedom in Italy was 1 in 2016, according to Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest press freedom recorded in Italy?: The highest recorded value was 2 in 1979.
What is the lowest press freedom recorded in Italy?: The lowest recorded value was 1 in 2003.
How does Italy rank for press freedom?: Italy ranks 61st out of 194 countries with data for 2016.
Is press freedom rising or falling in Italy?: Over the last ten years it is down 50.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Italy 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.