Press Freedom Index in Taiwan
Taiwan: Press Freedom Index was 23.86 in 2021. ▬ Flat
Latest (2021)
23.86
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
135th
of 177 countries
All-time high
24.98
in 2019
All-time low
23.36
in 2018
Years of data
9
2013–2021
Press Freedom Index in Taiwan, 2013–2021
Source: Reporters sans Frontieres (2022) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Taiwan recorded 23.86 for press freedom index in 2021.
The figure is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 0.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, press freedom index in Taiwan peaked at 24.98 in 2019 and was at its lowest, 23.36, in 2018.
Taiwan ranks 135th of 177 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Press Freedom Index in Taiwan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 23.82 | — |
| 2014 | 23.82 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 24.83 | +4.2% |
| 2016 | 24.37 | -1.9% |
| 2017 | 24.37 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 23.36 | -4.1% |
| 2019 | 24.98 | +6.9% |
| 2020 | 23.76 | -4.9% |
| 2021 | 23.86 | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 24.22 | 23.36 | 24.98 | 7 |
| 2020s | 23.81 | 23.76 | 23.86 | 2 |
Countries ranked near Taiwan
- 132 Papua New Guinea 24.88 compare
- 133 Tonga 24.59 compare
- 134 United States 23.93 compare
- 136 South Korea 23.43 compare
- 137 Italy 23.39 compare
- 138 Czechia 23.38 compare
More social development data for Taiwan
- Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 1 (2025)
- Sovereign state gleditsch ward, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Human Rights Index vs. Electoral Democracy Index 0.93 (2025)
- Liberal Democracy Index 0.704 (2025)
- Electoral Democracy Index 0.801 (2025)
- Freedom of Association Index 0.892 (2025)
- Freedom of Expression Index 0.838 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is press freedom index in Taiwan?
- Press freedom index in Taiwan was 23.86 in 2021, according to Reporters sans Frontieres (2022) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest press freedom index recorded in Taiwan?
- The highest recorded value was 24.98 in 2019.
- What is the lowest press freedom index recorded in Taiwan?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.36 in 2018.
- How does Taiwan rank for press freedom index?
- Taiwan ranks 135th out of 177 countries with data for 2021.
- Is press freedom index rising or falling in Taiwan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Taiwan 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).