Maptheory
social2024

Press Freedom Index by Country

Reporters Without Borders score (0-100). Norway leads at 92.0, while authoritarian regimes severely restrict press freedom.

Source: Reporters Without Borders•36 countries

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Key Insights

Global Average
64.0/100
Median: 69.6/100
Countries Covered
36
with available data
Highest
Norway
92.0/100
Lowest
People's Republic of China
22.9/100
Top 5 Countries
1Norway92.0/100
2Denmark90.3/100
3Sweden88.2/100
4Finland87.9/100
5Netherlands87.6/100
By Region
Europe77.7/100(19 countries)
Oceania77.2/100(2 countries)
North America64.5/100(3 countries)
South America52.1/100(1 countries)
Asia43.5/100(7 countries)
Key Findings
  • •Nordic countries dominate press freedom rankings
  • •Press freedom has declined globally since 2016
  • •Mexico is one of the deadliest countries for journalists

Country Rankings

Top 10 Countries

Bottom 10 Countries

Data Analysis

Value Distribution

How countries are distributed across the value range

Low (0.0/100)High (100.0/100)

Regional Comparison

Average values by world region (Global avg: 64.0/100)

Europe (19)
Oceania (2)
North America (3)
South America (1)
Asia (7)
Africa (2)
Other (2)

Correlation Analysis

Correlation Analysis

Press Freedom vs Corruption Index

r = 0.92
Strong positive
Interpretation: There is a strong positive correlation between Press Freedom and Corruption Index. Countries with higher values in one tend to have higher values in the other.

About This Statistic

The World Press Freedom Index measures the level of freedom available to journalists in 180 countries. It evaluates pluralism, media independence, legal framework, and safety of journalists.

A free press is essential for democracy, enabling citizens to make informed decisions and holding power accountable. The index considers political context, legal framework, economic factors, and violence against journalists.

Declining press freedom has been observed globally, with increasing attacks on journalists, restrictive laws, and government interference in media. Digital surveillance and online harassment pose new threats to press freedom.

Methodology

Quantitative data on media plurality and questionnaires sent to experts and journalists.

Full Data

Rank ↑Country ↕Value ↕
1Norway92.0/100
2Denmark90.3/100
3Sweden88.2/100
4Finland87.9/100
5Netherlands87.6/100
6Portugal84.0/100
7Iceland83.5/100
8Ireland83.3/100
9Switzerland82.1/100
10Belgium81.3/100
11Germany80.0/100
12Austria78.8/100
13Canada78.7/100
14New Zealand78.1/100
15Australia76.2/100
16France75.8/100
17Spain74.4/100
18United Kingdom71.0/100
19Japan68.1/100
20South Korea67.8/100
21United States of America66.6/100
22Italy64.1/100
23Poland60.1/100
24Greece58.4/100
25Hungary54.2/100
26Brazil52.1/100
27Mexico48.2/100
28Indonesia47.0/100
29Nigeria43.1/100
30Pakistan37.3/100
31India36.6/100
32Türkiye31.6/100
33Vietnam24.5/100
34Egypt24.2/100
35Russian Federation23.1/100
36People's Republic of China22.9/100
Showing 36 of 36 countries

Topics

#press freedom#journalism#media#democracy#censorship#free speech

Related Statistics

👥social

Corruption Index

Transparency International's score (0-100) where higher means less corrupt. Denmark leads at 90, while many nations score below 30.

Transparency International • 2023
👥social

Happiness Index

World Happiness Report score (0-10). Finland tops the rankings at 7.80, known for its social support and work-life balance.

World Happiness Report • 2023
👥social

Homicide Rate

Intentional homicides per 100,000 people. Japan is safest at 0.2, while parts of Latin America and Africa face severe violence.

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime • 2021
👥social

Incarceration Rate

Prison population per 100,000 people. The US leads developed nations at 531, while Nordic countries imprison far fewer.

World Prison Brief / Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research • 2023

Data Source

This data comes from Reporters Without Borders (2024).

View Original Source