Press Freedom Index in Jamaica
Jamaica: Press Freedom Index was 9.96 in 2021. ▬ Flat
Latest (2021)
9.96
Change on year
down 5.2%
World rank
171st
of 177 countries
All-time high
12.73
in 2017
All-time low
9.88
in 2013
Years of data
9
2013–2021
Press Freedom Index in Jamaica, 2013–2021
Source: Reporters sans Frontieres (2022) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Jamaica recorded 9.96 for press freedom index in 2021.
That represents a change of down 5.2% on the previous year and up 0.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, press freedom index in Jamaica peaked at 12.73 in 2017 and was at its lowest, 9.88, in 2013.
That places Jamaica 171st out of 177 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Press Freedom Index in Jamaica, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 9.88 | — |
| 2014 | 10.9 | +10.3% |
| 2015 | 11.18 | +2.6% |
| 2016 | 12.45 | +11.4% |
| 2017 | 12.73 | +2.2% |
| 2018 | 11.33 | -11.0% |
| 2019 | 11.13 | -1.8% |
| 2020 | 10.51 | -5.6% |
| 2021 | 9.96 | -5.2% |
Jamaica compared with similar countries
- Jamaica's 9.96 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 33.52, 30% of the median. (51 countries reporting)
- Jamaica's 9.96 is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 31.12, 32% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 11.37 | 9.88 | 12.73 | 7 |
| 2020s | 10.23 | 9.96 | 10.51 | 2 |
Countries ranked near Jamaica
- 168 Switzerland 10.55 compare
- 169 Portugal 10.11 compare
- 170 New Zealand 10.04 compare
- 172 Netherlands 9.67 compare
- 173 Costa Rica 8.76 compare
- 174 Denmark 8.57 compare
More social development data for Jamaica
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 31 (2022)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2,642 (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 0.0009 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2,642 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2022)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is press freedom index in Jamaica?
- Press freedom index in Jamaica was 9.96 in 2021, according to Reporters sans Frontieres (2022) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest press freedom index recorded in Jamaica?
- The highest recorded value was 12.73 in 2017.
- What is the lowest press freedom index recorded in Jamaica?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.88 in 2013.
- How does Jamaica rank for press freedom index?
- Jamaica ranks 171st out of 177 countries with data for 2021.
- Is press freedom index rising or falling in Jamaica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Jamaica 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).