Press Freedom Index in United States
United States: Press Freedom Index was 23.93 in 2021. ▲ Rising
Latest (2021)
23.93
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
134th
of 177 countries
All-time high
25.69
in 2019
All-time low
18.22
in 2013
Years of data
9
2013–2021
Press Freedom Index in United States, 2013–2021
Source: Reporters sans Frontieres (2022) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
United States recorded 23.93 for press freedom index in 2021.
The figure is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 31.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, press freedom index in United States peaked at 25.69 in 2019 and was at its lowest, 18.22, in 2013.
United States ranks 134th of 177 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 23.13 | 18.22 | 25.69 | 7 |
| 2020s | 23.89 | 23.85 | 23.93 | 2 |
Countries ranked near United States
More social development data for United States
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 457,647 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 3,667 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Freedom of Association Index 0.913 (2025)
- Liberal Democracy Index 0.571 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 2 (2025)
- Human Rights Index 0.826 (2025)
- Participatory Democracy Index 0.51 (2025)
- Key features of human rights 0.826 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is press freedom index in United States?
- Press freedom index in United States was 23.93 in 2021, according to Reporters sans Frontieres (2022) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest press freedom index recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 25.69 in 2019.
- What is the lowest press freedom index recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.22 in 2013.
- How does United States rank for press freedom index?
- United States ranks 134th out of 177 countries with data for 2021.
- Is press freedom index rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 31.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States 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).