Democracy index

Freedom of expression by country

The V-Dem freedom of expression index measures how free people are to discuss politics, how free the media is from censorship and harassment, and whether academic and cultural expression is respected. Here is how 179 countries score in 2025, and how that has changed since 2015.

Data: V-Dem v16, scores for 2025 · Page updated 27 October 2026

Highest score0.98Denmark

Lowest score0.01North Korea

World average0.61across 179 countries

Declined since 2015101countries, against 37 that improved

Key findings

The highest scores in 2025 are in Denmark, Ireland and Belgium, and the lowest in Afghanistan, Nicaragua and North Korea. Democracies average 0.84, against 0.39 for autocracies. Since 2015, 101 countries have lost at least 0.02 points and 37 have gained at least as much.

Top 15 countries, 2025Freedom of expression index, 0 to 1

Denmark0.98

Ireland0.97

Belgium0.97

Estonia0.97

Switzerland0.97

France0.96

Luxembourg0.96

Norway0.95

Czechia0.95

Sweden0.95

Finland0.95

South Korea0.93

Canada0.93

Latvia0.93

Uruguay0.93

Lowest 15 countries, 2025Freedom of expression index, 0 to 1

North Korea0.01

Nicaragua0.02

Afghanistan0.02

Eritrea0.02

Belarus0.03

Myanmar0.03

Laos0.03

Turkmenistan0.04

Tajikistan0.04

China0.04

Qatar0.06

United Arab Emirates0.06

Cuba0.07

Russia0.08

Saudi Arabia0.09

Biggest changes since 2015

The largest declines were in Afghanistan, Burkina Faso and Hong Kong. The largest gains were in The Gambia, Syria and Fiji.

Largest declines, 2015 to 2025Change in index points

Afghanistan−0.67

Burkina Faso−0.61

Hong Kong−0.54

Myanmar−0.53

Nicaragua−0.49

El Salvador−0.48

Mali−0.38

Algeria−0.30

Kyrgyzstan−0.27

Belarus−0.26

Largest gains, 2015 to 2025Change in index points

The Gambia+0.62

Syria+0.33

Fiji+0.29

Thailand+0.27

Malaysia+0.27

Seychelles+0.24

Honduras+0.20

Uzbekistan+0.19

Sri Lanka+0.18

South Korea+0.17

Full ranking: freedom of expression index 2025


1	Denmark Take the test	0.98	−0.01	Liberal democracy	0.88
2	Ireland Take the test	0.97	−0.00	Liberal democracy	0.82
3	Belgium Take the test	0.97	−0.01	Liberal democracy	0.79
4	Estonia	0.97	+0.01	Liberal democracy	0.84
5	Switzerland Take the test	0.97	−0.01	Liberal democracy	0.84
6	France Take the test	0.96	−0.01	Liberal democracy	0.80
7	Luxembourg Take the test	0.96	±0.00	Liberal democracy	0.78
8	Norway Take the test	0.95	−0.03	Liberal democracy	0.85
9	Czechia Take the test	0.95	+0.03	Liberal democracy	0.79
10	Sweden Take the test	0.95	−0.03	Liberal democracy	0.85
11	Finland Take the test	0.95	−0.02	Liberal democracy	0.81
12	South Korea Take the test	0.93	+0.17	Liberal democracy	0.74
13	Canada Take the test	0.93	+0.00	Electoral democracy	0.74
14	Latvia	0.93	−0.02	Liberal democracy	0.75
15	Uruguay Take the test	0.93	−0.04	Liberal democracy	0.79
16	New Zealand Take the test	0.93	−0.01	Liberal democracy	0.79
17	Chile Take the test	0.93	−0.02	Liberal democracy	0.78
18	Jamaica	0.92	−0.02	Electoral democracy	0.68
19	Austria Take the test	0.92	−0.05	Liberal democracy	0.76
20	Poland Take the test	0.92	−0.03	Electoral democracy	0.65
21	Lithuania	0.92	−0.03	Liberal democracy	0.71
22	Australia Take the test	0.92	−0.04	Liberal democracy	0.79
23	Costa Rica Take the test	0.92	−0.04	Liberal democracy	0.81
24	Germany Take the test	0.91	−0.06	Liberal democracy	0.78
25	Barbados	0.91	+0.03	Liberal democracy	0.68
26	Brazil Take the test	0.91	−0.01	Electoral democracy	0.70
27	Netherlands Take the test	0.91	−0.05	Liberal democracy	0.77
28	Dominican Republic	0.90	+0.11	Electoral democracy	0.51
29	Kenya	0.90	+0.02	Electoral democracy	0.45
30	Portugal Take the test	0.90	−0.07	Electoral democracy	0.72
31	Ghana	0.90	−0.01	Electoral democracy	0.61
32	Suriname	0.89	+0.03	Electoral democracy	0.63
33	Trinidad and Tobago	0.89	+0.03	Liberal democracy	0.67
34	Mauritius	0.89	+0.03	Electoral democracy	0.64
35	Seychelles	0.87	+0.24	Liberal democracy	0.68
36	Sri Lanka	0.87	+0.18	Electoral democracy	0.61
37	Honduras	0.86	+0.20	Electoral democracy	0.38
38	Namibia	0.86	+0.02	Electoral democracy	0.52
39	Cape Verde	0.86	−0.04	Electoral democracy	0.63
40	Montenegro	0.85	+0.07	Electoral democracy	0.50
41	Nigeria Take the test	0.85	−0.04	Electoral democracy	0.31
42	Vanuatu	0.85	−0.07	Electoral democracy	0.62
43	Japan Take the test	0.85	−0.02	Liberal democracy	0.73
44	Iceland Take the test	0.85	−0.08	Liberal democracy	0.72
45	Spain Take the test	0.84	−0.06	Liberal democracy	0.74
46	Solomon Islands	0.84	+0.02	Electoral democracy	0.54
47	Guatemala	0.84	+0.07	Electoral democracy	0.52
48	Papua New Guinea	0.84	+0.04	Electoral autocracy	0.38
49	Taiwan	0.84	−0.07	Liberal democracy	0.70
50	Timor-Leste	0.84	−0.02	Electoral democracy	0.55
51	South Africa Take the test	0.84	−0.04	Electoral democracy	0.63
52	Liberia	0.84	−0.00	Electoral democracy	0.42
53	United Kingdom Take the test	0.83	−0.11	Electoral democracy	0.69
54	Malta Take the test	0.83	+0.02	Electoral democracy	0.62
55	Sierra Leone	0.82	+0.06	Electoral autocracy	0.35
56	Israel	0.82	−0.02	Electoral democracy	0.59
57	Senegal	0.82	−0.12	Electoral democracy	0.48
58	The Gambia	0.81	+0.62	Electoral democracy	0.52
59	Nepal	0.81	−0.05	Electoral democracy	0.51
60	Panama	0.81	−0.04	Electoral democracy	0.57
61	Cyprus	0.81	−0.12	Liberal democracy	0.66
62	Colombia Take the test	0.81	−0.02	Electoral democracy	0.56
63	Greece Take the test	0.81	−0.12	Electoral democracy	0.57
64	Haiti	0.80	−0.04	Closed autocracy	0.10
65	Botswana	0.80	+0.02	Electoral democracy	0.52
66	Sao Tome and Principe	0.79	−0.03	Electoral democracy	0.52
67	Zambia	0.78	+0.12	Electoral autocracy	0.38
68	Romania	0.78	−0.09	Electoral democracy	0.46
69	Mongolia	0.77	−0.12	Electoral democracy	0.42
70	Guyana	0.77	−0.06	Electoral democracy	0.33
71	Kosovo	0.77	−0.03	Electoral democracy	0.46
72	Slovakia	0.77	−0.17	Electoral democracy	0.57
73	Peru Take the test	0.76	−0.16	Electoral democracy	0.51
74	Niger	0.76	−0.12	Closed autocracy	0.18
75	Italy Take the test	0.76	−0.19	Liberal democracy	0.64
76	Malawi	0.75	−0.07	Electoral democracy	0.46
77	Bulgaria	0.75	−0.02	Electoral democracy	0.50
78	Paraguay	0.75	+0.02	Electoral democracy	0.38
79	Gabon	0.75	−0.07	Electoral autocracy	0.18
80	Lebanon	0.74	−0.02	Electoral autocracy	0.27
81	Croatia	0.74	−0.16	Electoral democracy	0.59
82	Argentina Take the test	0.74	−0.14	Electoral democracy	0.52
83	Armenia	0.73	+0.13	Electoral democracy	0.37
84	United States Take the test	0.73	−0.23	Electoral democracy	0.57
85	Lesotho	0.73	+0.03	Electoral democracy	0.51
86	Fiji	0.72	+0.29	Electoral democracy	0.40
87	Ecuador Take the test	0.71	+0.01	Electoral democracy	0.39
88	Maldives	0.69	+0.16	Electoral democracy	0.42
89	Slovenia	0.69	−0.26	Electoral democracy	0.59
90	Indonesia	0.69	−0.17	Electoral autocracy	0.30
91	Tunisia	0.69	−0.18	Electoral autocracy	0.27
92	Georgia	0.69	−0.22	Electoral autocracy	0.28
93	Bhutan	0.68	−0.01	Electoral democracy	0.46
94	Ivory Coast	0.68	−0.01	Electoral autocracy	0.23
95	Bolivia	0.68	−0.06	Electoral democracy	0.35
96	Philippines Take the test	0.68	−0.20	Electoral autocracy	0.29
97	Benin	0.68	−0.18	Electoral autocracy	0.32
98	Albania	0.67	−0.08	Electoral autocracy	0.38
99	North Macedonia	0.66	+0.13	Electoral democracy	0.37
100	Somaliland	0.65	−0.05	Electoral autocracy	0.30
101	Bosnia and Herzegovina	0.65	−0.08	Electoral autocracy	0.34
102	Moldova	0.65	−0.07	Electoral democracy	0.45
103	Madagascar	0.64	−0.15	Electoral autocracy	0.19
104	Mauritania	0.63	−0.15	Electoral autocracy	0.13
105	Mexico Take the test	0.62	−0.18	Electoral autocracy	0.22
106	Somalia	0.62	+0.08	Closed autocracy	0.13
107	Central African Republic	0.61	−0.16	Electoral autocracy	0.10
108	Democratic Republic of the Congo	0.60	−0.09	Electoral autocracy	0.12
109	Thailand	0.59	+0.27	Electoral autocracy	0.31
110	Malaysia	0.59	+0.27	Electoral democracy	0.35
111	Morocco	0.58	−0.03	Closed autocracy	0.25
112	Togo	0.58	−0.23	Electoral autocracy	0.16
113	Iraq	0.57	−0.04	Electoral autocracy	0.22
114	Guinea	0.56	−0.11	Closed autocracy	0.10
115	Pakistan	0.56	−0.18	Electoral autocracy	0.18
116	Jordan	0.56	+0.00	Closed autocracy	0.27
117	Tanzania	0.55	−0.16	Electoral autocracy	0.30
118	Guinea-Bissau	0.55	−0.11	Closed autocracy	0.10
119	Zanzibar	0.54	+0.01	Electoral autocracy	0.25
120	Libya	0.54	−0.17	Closed autocracy	0.10
121	Cameroon	0.53	−0.15	Electoral autocracy	0.11
122	Kuwait	0.53	−0.09	Closed autocracy	0.13
123	Bangladesh	0.53	+0.11	Closed autocracy	0.12
124	Mozambique	0.52	−0.23	Electoral autocracy	0.17
125	Comoros	0.50	−0.20	Electoral autocracy	0.13
126	Angola	0.50	+0.13	Electoral autocracy	0.16
127	Hungary	0.49	−0.21	Electoral autocracy	0.32
128	Mali	0.49	−0.38	Closed autocracy	0.15
129	Kyrgyzstan	0.47	−0.27	Electoral autocracy	0.18
130	India Take the test	0.46	−0.20	Electoral autocracy	0.26
131	Uganda	0.43	−0.15	Electoral autocracy	0.17
132	Chad	0.43	−0.16	Electoral autocracy	0.06
133	Serbia	0.42	−0.07	Electoral autocracy	0.21
134	Ukraine	0.42	−0.25	Electoral autocracy	0.24
135	Zimbabwe	0.41	−0.04	Electoral autocracy	0.15
136	Singapore	0.40	+0.04	Electoral autocracy	0.36
137	Republic of the Congo	0.37	−0.01	Electoral autocracy	0.12
138	Algeria	0.37	−0.30	Electoral autocracy	0.13
139	Syria	0.36	+0.33	Closed autocracy	0.05
140	El Salvador	0.36	−0.48	Electoral autocracy	0.09
141	Palestine (West Bank)	0.35	−0.20	Electoral autocracy	0.11
142	Djibouti	0.34	+0.07	Electoral autocracy	0.12
143	Kazakhstan	0.33	−0.01	Electoral autocracy	0.13
144	Sudan	0.29	+0.10	Closed autocracy	0.03
145	Ethiopia	0.28	−0.01	Electoral autocracy	0.10
146	Burkina Faso	0.26	−0.61	Closed autocracy	0.10
147	Palestine (Gaza)	0.23	+0.03	Closed autocracy	0.06
148	Uzbekistan	0.23	+0.19	Closed autocracy	0.08
149	Hong Kong	0.23	−0.54	Closed autocracy	0.14
150	Yemen	0.22	+0.05	Closed autocracy	0.04
151	Egypt	0.18	+0.01	Electoral autocracy	0.12
152	Türkiye	0.18	−0.17	Electoral autocracy	0.11
153	Bahrain	0.17	−0.02	Closed autocracy	0.06
154	Rwanda	0.17	−0.07	Electoral autocracy	0.09
155	Iran	0.17	−0.03	Electoral autocracy	0.10
156	Burundi	0.16	−0.05	Electoral autocracy	0.06
157	South Sudan	0.15	−0.00	Closed autocracy	0.06
158	Cambodia	0.15	−0.21	Electoral autocracy	0.05
159	Oman	0.15	+0.03	Closed autocracy	0.14
160	Venezuela	0.15	−0.21	Electoral autocracy	0.04
161	Eswatini	0.11	−0.09	Closed autocracy	0.10
162	Equatorial Guinea	0.11	−0.03	Electoral autocracy	0.05
163	Vietnam	0.10	−0.05	Closed autocracy	0.10
164	Azerbaijan	0.09	−0.08	Electoral autocracy	0.05
165	Saudi Arabia	0.09	+0.00	Closed autocracy	0.05
166	Russia	0.08	−0.23	Electoral autocracy	0.06
167	Cuba	0.07	+0.03	Closed autocracy	0.06
168	United Arab Emirates	0.06	−0.06	Closed autocracy	0.08
169	Qatar	0.06	−0.05	Closed autocracy	0.09
170	China	0.04	−0.06	Closed autocracy	0.04
171	Tajikistan	0.04	−0.14	Electoral autocracy	0.04
172	Turkmenistan	0.04	+0.01	Closed autocracy	0.03
173	Laos	0.03	+0.01	Closed autocracy	0.11
174	Myanmar	0.03	−0.53	Closed autocracy	0.01
175	Belarus	0.03	−0.26	Closed autocracy	0.04
176	Eritrea	0.02	+0.01	Closed autocracy	0.01
177	Afghanistan	0.02	−0.67	Closed autocracy	0.02
178	Nicaragua	0.02	−0.49	Electoral autocracy	0.02
179	North Korea	0.01	±0.00	Closed autocracy	0.01

Scores run from 0 to 1. Higher is better. Click a column heading to sort. Countries with a CoreOpinion test link to it.

Frequently asked questions

Which country scores highest on the V-Dem freedom of expression index?

Denmark, with a score of 0.98 in 2025, followed by Ireland and Belgium.

What does the freedom of expression index measure?

It measures how free people are to discuss politics, how free the media is from censorship and harassment, and whether academic and cultural expression is respected. Scores run from 0 to 1, and higher is better.

Where does this data come from?

From the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) dataset, version 16, which combines assessments by thousands of country experts. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where do you stand?

See how your own views compare with the parties in your country. CoreOpinion has political tests for 46 countries.

Find your country's test

Source and licence

All scores come from the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Country-Year dataset, version 16, produced by the V-Dem Institute at the University of Gothenburg. V-Dem combines the judgements of thousands of country experts into indices that run from 0 to 1, and reports measurement uncertainty for each one. Figures here refer to 2025, with changes measured against 2015. Small differences between countries, of a few hundredths, are often within that uncertainty.

The V-Dem data is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. The rankings and tables on these pages are derived from it and shared under the same licence. See v-dem.net for the full dataset and codebook.