Press Freedom Index in Somalia
Somalia: Press Freedom Index was 55.47 in 2021. ▼ Falling
Latest (2021)
55.47
Change on year
up 0.0%
World rank
20th
of 177 countries
All-time high
73.59
in 2013
All-time low
55.45
in 2020
Years of data
9
2013–2021
Press Freedom Index in Somalia, 2013–2021
Source: Reporters sans Frontieres (2022) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Somalia recorded 55.47 for press freedom index in 2021.
The figure is down 24.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, press freedom index in Somalia peaked at 73.59 in 2013 and was at its lowest, 55.45, in 2020.
That places Somalia 20th out of 177 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.
Press Freedom Index in Somalia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 73.59 | — |
| 2014 | 73.19 | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 72.31 | -1.2% |
| 2016 | 65.35 | -9.6% |
| 2017 | 65.95 | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 63.04 | -4.4% |
| 2019 | 57.24 | -9.2% |
| 2020 | 55.45 | -3.1% |
| 2021 | 55.47 | +0.0% |
Somalia compared with similar countries
- Somalia's 55.47 is above the median for low income countries, which is 40.2, 1.4× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Somalia's 55.47 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 33.65, 1.6× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 67.24 | 57.24 | 73.59 | 7 |
| 2020s | 55.46 | 55.45 | 55.47 | 2 |
Countries ranked near Somalia
More social development data for Somalia
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 20,967 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 892,037 (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 0.0454 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 892,037 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0011 units per person (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 Somalia?
- Press freedom index in Somalia was 55.47 in 2021, according to Reporters sans Frontieres (2022) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest press freedom index recorded in Somalia?
- The highest recorded value was 73.59 in 2013.
- What is the lowest press freedom index recorded in Somalia?
- The lowest recorded value was 55.45 in 2020.
- How does Somalia rank for press freedom index?
- Somalia ranks 20th out of 177 countries with data for 2021.
- Is press freedom index rising or falling in Somalia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Somalia 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).