Press Freedom Index in Bhutan
Bhutan: Press Freedom Index was 28.86 in 2021. ▬ Flat
Latest (2021)
28.86
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
114th
of 177 countries
All-time high
32.65
in 2015
All-time low
28.42
in 2013
Years of data
9
2013–2021
Press Freedom Index in Bhutan, 2013–2021
Source: Reporters sans Frontieres (2022) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Bhutan recorded 28.86 for press freedom index in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and up 1.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, press freedom index in Bhutan peaked at 32.65 in 2015 and was at its lowest, 28.42, in 2013.
That places Bhutan 114th out of 177 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
Press Freedom Index in Bhutan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 28.42 | — |
| 2014 | 30.73 | +8.1% |
| 2015 | 32.65 | +6.2% |
| 2016 | 30.73 | -5.9% |
| 2017 | 30.73 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 30.73 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 29.81 | -3.0% |
| 2020 | 28.9 | -3.1% |
| 2021 | 28.86 | -0.1% |
Bhutan compared with similar countries
- Bhutan's 28.86 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 38.21, 76% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Bhutan's 28.86 is below the median for South Asia, which is 38.41, 75% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 30.54 | 28.42 | 32.65 | 7 |
| 2020s | 28.88 | 28.86 | 28.9 | 2 |
Countries ranked near Bhutan
More social development data for Bhutan
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 7,257 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0091 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 7,257 (2025)
- Sovereign state gleditsch ward, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of -2.37 % change on previous year (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 index in Bhutan?
- Press freedom index in Bhutan was 28.86 in 2021, according to Reporters sans Frontieres (2022) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest press freedom index recorded in Bhutan?
- The highest recorded value was 32.65 in 2015.
- What is the lowest press freedom index recorded in Bhutan?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.42 in 2013.
- How does Bhutan rank for press freedom index?
- Bhutan ranks 114th out of 177 countries with data for 2021.
- Is press freedom index rising or falling in Bhutan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Bhutan data come from?
- The figures come from Reporters sans Frontieres (2022) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Press Freedom Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 9 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The index combines expert estimates with data on violence against journalists. It ranges from 0-100 (no freedom).