Press Freedom Index in Cuba
Cuba: Press Freedom Index was 63.94 in 2021. ▼ Falling
Latest (2021)
63.94
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
10th
of 177 countries
All-time high
71.75
in 2017
All-time low
63.81
in 2019
Years of data
9
2013–2021
Press Freedom Index in Cuba, 2013–2021
Source: Reporters sans Frontieres (2022) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Cuba recorded 63.94 for press freedom index in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and down 10.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, press freedom index in Cuba peaked at 71.75 in 2017 and was at its lowest, 63.81, in 2019.
That places Cuba 10th out of 177 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.
Press Freedom Index in Cuba, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 71.64 | — |
| 2014 | 70.92 | -1.0% |
| 2015 | 70.21 | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 70.23 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 71.75 | +2.2% |
| 2018 | 68.9 | -4.0% |
| 2019 | 63.81 | -7.4% |
| 2020 | 63.81 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 63.94 | +0.2% |
Cuba compared with similar countries
- Cuba's 63.94 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 33.52, 1.9× the median. (51 countries reporting)
- Cuba's 63.94 is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 31.12, 2.1× the median. (25 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 69.64 | 63.81 | 71.75 | 7 |
| 2020s | 63.88 | 63.81 | 63.94 | 2 |
Countries ranked near Cuba
More social development data for Cuba
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 115 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 29,395 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 7 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0027 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 29,395 (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 0 units per US$ of GDP (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is press freedom index in Cuba?
- Press freedom index in Cuba was 63.94 in 2021, according to Reporters sans Frontieres (2022) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest press freedom index recorded in Cuba?
- The highest recorded value was 71.75 in 2017.
- What is the lowest press freedom index recorded in Cuba?
- The lowest recorded value was 63.81 in 2019.
- How does Cuba rank for press freedom index?
- Cuba ranks 10th out of 177 countries with data for 2021.
- Is press freedom index rising or falling in Cuba?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Cuba 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).