What is press freedom in East Timor?

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

What is the highest press freedom recorded in East Timor?

The highest recorded value was 2 in 2000.

What is the lowest press freedom recorded in East Timor?

The lowest recorded value was 1 in 2005.

How does East Timor rank for press freedom?

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

Is press freedom rising or falling in East Timor?

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

Where does this East Timor 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 East Timor

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

East Timor: Press freedom was 1 in 2016. ▼ Falling

Latest (2016)

Change on year

unchanged

World rank

61st

of 194 countries

All-time high

in 2000

All-time low

in 2005

Years of data

2000–2016

Press freedom in East Timor, 2000–2016

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for press freedom in East Timor is 1, measured in 2016. That is the lowest value across all 17 years on record.

That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.

Over the whole period, press freedom in East Timor peaked at 2 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 1, in 2005.

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

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 17 years of available data.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
2000s	1.5	1	2	10
2010s	1	1	1	7

Countries ranked near East Timor

See the full ranking of 194 places →

More social development data for East Timor

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 0 (2015)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 15 (2025)
Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
Freedom of Association Index 0.844 (2025)
Human Rights Index 0.873 (2025)
Liberal Democracy Index 0.549 (2025)
Electoral democracy 2 (2025)
Participatory Democracy Index 0.462 (2025)
Key features of human rights 0.873 (2025)

All data for East Timor →

Frequently asked questions

What is press freedom in East Timor?: Press freedom in East Timor was 1 in 2016, according to Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest press freedom recorded in East Timor?: The highest recorded value was 2 in 2000.
What is the lowest press freedom recorded in East Timor?: The lowest recorded value was 1 in 2005.
How does East Timor rank for press freedom?: East Timor ranks 61st out of 194 countries with data for 2016.
Is press freedom rising or falling in East Timor?: Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this East Timor 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 — 17 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.