Press Freedom Index in Brunei
Brunei: Press Freedom Index was 49.91 in 2021. ▲ Rising
Latest (2021)
49.91
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
27th
of 177 countries
All-time high
53.85
in 2016
All-time low
35.45
in 2013
Years of data
9
2013–2021
Press Freedom Index in Brunei, 2013–2021
Source: Reporters sans Frontieres (2022) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2021, press freedom index in Brunei stood at 49.91.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 40.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, press freedom index in Brunei peaked at 53.85 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 35.45, in 2013.
Brunei ranks 27th of 177 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Press Freedom Index in Brunei, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 35.45 | — |
| 2014 | 35.45 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 36.76 | +3.7% |
| 2016 | 53.85 | +46.5% |
| 2017 | 53.72 | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 51.48 | -4.2% |
| 2019 | 51.48 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 49.65 | -3.6% |
| 2021 | 49.91 | +0.5% |
Brunei compared with similar countries
- Brunei's 49.91 is above the median for high income countries, which is 23.1, 2.2× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Brunei's 49.91 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 37.4, 1.3× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 45.46 | 35.45 | 53.85 | 7 |
| 2020s | 49.78 | 49.65 | 49.91 | 2 |
Countries ranked near Brunei
- 24 Uzbekistan 50.74 compare
- 25 Rwanda 50.66 compare
- 26 Kazakhstan 50.28 compare
- 28 Turkey 49.79 compare
- 29 Bangladesh 49.71 compare
- 30 Honduras 49.35 compare
More social development data for Brunei
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 5 (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 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 5 (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 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, per square kilometre 0.0011 units per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is press freedom index in Brunei?
- Press freedom index in Brunei was 49.91 in 2021, according to Reporters sans Frontieres (2022) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest press freedom index recorded in Brunei?
- The highest recorded value was 53.85 in 2016.
- What is the lowest press freedom index recorded in Brunei?
- The lowest recorded value was 35.45 in 2013.
- How does Brunei rank for press freedom index?
- Brunei ranks 27th out of 177 countries with data for 2021.
- Is press freedom index rising or falling in Brunei?
- Over the last ten years it is up 40.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Brunei 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).