Press Freedom Index in Spain
Spain: Press Freedom Index was 20.44 in 2021. ▲ Rising
Latest (2021)
20.44
Change on year
down 7.8%
World rank
149th
of 177 countries
All-time high
22.16
in 2020
All-time low
18.69
in 2017
Years of data
9
2013–2021
Press Freedom Index in Spain, 2013–2021
Source: Reporters sans Frontieres (2022) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2021, press freedom index in Spain stood at 20.44.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.8% on the previous year and down 0.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, press freedom index in Spain peaked at 22.16 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 18.69, in 2017.
That places Spain 149th out of 177 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 20.31 | 18.69 | 21.99 | 7 |
| 2020s | 21.3 | 20.44 | 22.16 | 2 |
Countries ranked near Spain
- 147 Trinidad and Tobago 21.55 compare
- 148 Ghana 21.33 compare
- 150 Lithuania 20.15 compare
- 151 Cape Verde 20.09 compare
- 152 Cyprus 19.85 compare
More social development data for Spain
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 511,079 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 186 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
- Freedom of Association Index 0.915 (2025)
- Liberal Democracy Index 0.741 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 2 (2025)
- Human Rights Index 0.942 (2025)
- Participatory Democracy Index 0.572 (2025)
- Key features of human rights 0.942 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is press freedom index in Spain?
- Press freedom index in Spain was 20.44 in 2021, according to Reporters sans Frontieres (2022) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest press freedom index recorded in Spain?
- The highest recorded value was 22.16 in 2020.
- What is the lowest press freedom index recorded in Spain?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.69 in 2017.
- How does Spain rank for press freedom index?
- Spain ranks 149th out of 177 countries with data for 2021.
- Is press freedom index rising or falling in Spain?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Spain 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).