V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · Government Censorship of the Media
Media censorship by country
Does the government try to censor newspapers, radio and television?
Belgium placed first of the 176 countries compared in 2025, at 3.489, and South Sudan last, at -3.017. In the middle country the figure was 0.565. Among the 168 countries measured in every edition since 1990, the middle one moved from 0.080 to 0.565.
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Part ofDemocracy & Civil Liberties
Media censorship · 2025
Context statistic
Highest of 176Belgium
3.489012025 · position · derived
Who leads
The three countries at the highest end of 176 compared, the three at the other end, and the first on each continent.
1Photo: Gf uip · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2Photo: User:Aconcagua · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
3Photo: Andrus Uuetalu derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0 ee, greyscale
Lowest in 2025
- 176
South Sudan-3.017 - 175
Eritrea-2.983 - 174
Myanmar-2.954
Positions out of 176. Where a country sits says how it compares with the others measured, and nothing about why.
Highest on each continent
- Africa
Sierra Leone1.867 - Americas
Canada3.016 - Asia
Sri Lanka1.961 - EuropeBelgium3.489
- Oceania
New Zealand2.946 - Every region
02Every measured country
Media censorship on a map
Each country is shaded by its value, in five groups holding the same number of countries. Hover a country for its value, or select it to open its profile. Below the map, each continent’s middle country.
Darker is a higher value — the better end.
- -3.017–-1.022
- -0.990–0.064
- 0.070–0.881
- 0.909–1.721
- 1.727–3.489
- No reading in 2025
- Oceania
1.867
the middle country, of 6 measured · 21 members
New Zealand2.946
Fiji0.549Highest and lowest reading in Oceania.
- Europe
1.281
the middle country, of 40 measured · 49 members
Belgium3.489
Belarus-2.822Highest and lowest reading in Europe.
- Americas
1.252
the middle country, of 27 measured · 48 members
Canada3.016
Nicaragua-2.207Highest and lowest reading in Americas.
- Africa
0.061
the middle country, of 55 measured · 55 members
Sierra Leone1.867South Sudan-3.017Highest and lowest reading in Africa.
- Asia
-0.221
the middle country, of 48 measured · 52 members
Sri Lanka1.961Myanmar-2.954Highest and lowest reading in Asia.
- Every region
20 sub-regions, highest middle country first
- Northern Europe
2.744
the middle country, of 10 measured · 13 members
Denmark3.258
United Kingdom1.279Highest and lowest reading in Northern Europe.
- Western Europe
2.308
the middle country, of 7 measured · 9 members
Belgium3.489
Netherlands1.253Highest and lowest reading in Western Europe.
- Caribbean
1.846
the middle country, of 6 measured · 24 members
Jamaica2.161
Cuba-2.048Highest and lowest reading in Caribbean.
- Southern Africa
1.309
the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members
Botswana1.825
Eswatini-1.784Highest and lowest reading in Southern Africa.
- Eastern Asia
1.117
the middle country, of 7 measured · 8 members
South Korea1.867
North Korea-2.775Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Asia.
- South America
1.081
the middle country, of 12 measured · 12 members
Brazil2.958
Venezuela-2.041Highest and lowest reading in South America.
- Central America
0.827
the middle country, of 7 measured · 8 members
Guatemala1.727Nicaragua-2.207Highest and lowest reading in Central America.
- Western Africa
0.737
the middle country, of 16 measured · 16 members
Sierra Leone1.867
Guinea-Bissau-0.935Highest and lowest reading in Western Africa.
- Southern Europe
0.722
the middle country, of 13 measured · 17 members
Portugal3.187
Serbia-1.939Highest and lowest reading in Southern Europe.
- Southern Asia
0.614
the middle country, of 9 measured · 9 members
Sri Lanka1.961
Afghanistan-2.547Highest and lowest reading in Southern Asia.
- Eastern Europe
0.165
the middle country, of 10 measured · 10 members
Czechia2.163Belarus-2.822Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Europe.
- South-eastern Asia
-0.344
the middle country, of 10 measured · 11 members
Timor-Leste1.187Myanmar-2.954Highest and lowest reading in South-eastern Asia.
- Eastern Africa
-0.346
the middle country, of 19 measured · 19 members
Kenya1.721South Sudan-3.017Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Africa.
- Middle Africa
-0.420
the middle country, of 9 measured · 9 members
São Tomé and Príncipe1.019
Republic of the Congo-2.127Highest and lowest reading in Middle Africa.
- Northern Africa
-0.515
the middle country, of 6 measured · 6 members
Tunisia1.088
Egypt-1.938Highest and lowest reading in Northern Africa.
- Western Asia
-0.740
the middle country, of 17 measured · 19 members
Georgia0.789
Azerbaijan-2.273Highest and lowest reading in Western Asia.
- Central Asia
-1.119
the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members
Kyrgyzstan-0.388
Turkmenistan-2.720Highest and lowest reading in Central Asia.
- Australia and New Zealand
2 of 2 measured — too few for a middle: Australia, New Zealand.
New Zealand2.946
Australia2.216Highest and lowest reading in Australia and New Zealand.
- Melanesia
4 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu.
Vanuatu2.451Fiji0.549Highest and lowest reading in Melanesia.
- Northern America
2 of 4 measured — too few for a middle: Canada, United States.
Canada3.016
United States0.875Highest and lowest reading in Northern America.
03The whole field at once
The spread
176 countries, one dot each, on one scale — further right is a higher value. Half the countries are above 0.565; a quarter are above 1.386, and a quarter below -0.676. The bar in each row marks that continent’s middle country.
04All 176 ever measured
Every country
In order, highest value first. “=” marks a position shared with another country. V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg ranks nobody on this measure; the position is derived here by ordering the published values. ⚠ Higher is better here, though the name reads the other way. The figure measures government attempts to censor, not the overall health of the press: harassment of journalists, self-censorship and the range of views in the media are separate V-Dem measures, and online censorship is not included.
Showing 25 of 176 countries
Values for 2025. The change column compares 2025 with 2024 only; the sparkline covers the recent editions.
051990–2025 · 36 reference years
Over time
Each point is one year from 1990, all of them re-estimated together in V-Dem's v16 release. The scale has no fixed ends, so read the movement and the gap to other countries rather than the number on its own.
- the middle country
- the middle half of countries
- the middle of the 168 countries measured every time
- each continent’s middle country
The same, year by year
| Year | Countries | Middle country | Middle half | Measured every time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 176 | 0.565 | -0.676 – 1.386 | 0.565 |
| 2024 | 176 | 0.539 | -0.800 – 1.428 | 0.547 |
| 2023 | 176 | 0.616 | -0.819 – 1.397 | 0.560 |
| 2022 | 176 | 0.704 | -0.688 – 1.506 | 0.633 |
| 2021 | 176 | 0.529 | -0.669 – 1.593 | 0.513 |
| 2020 | 176 | 0.682 | -0.520 – 1.603 | 0.582 |
| 2019 | 176 | 0.824 | -0.521 – 1.665 | 0.807 |
| 2018 | 176 | 0.841 | -0.508 – 1.591 | 0.828 |
| 2017 | 176 | 0.807 | -0.650 – 1.737 | 0.807 |
| 2016 | 176 | 0.858 | -0.632 – 1.674 | 0.858 |
| 2015 | 176 | 0.946 | -0.545 – 1.810 | 0.946 |
| 2014 | 176 | 0.974 | -0.479 – 1.810 | 0.974 |
| 2013 | 176 | 0.970 | -0.418 – 1.810 | 0.970 |
| 2012 | 176 | 0.910 | -0.309 – 1.988 | 0.910 |
| 2011 | 176 | 0.880 | -0.352 – 2.009 | 0.918 |
| 2010 | 175 | 0.820 | -0.357 – 1.964 | 0.823 |
| 2009 | 175 | 0.776 | -0.440 – 1.896 | 0.793 |
| 2008 | 175 | 0.776 | -0.449 – 1.748 | 0.782 |
| 2007 | 175 | 0.776 | -0.397 – 1.785 | 0.771 |
| 2006 | 175 | 0.794 | -0.344 – 1.769 | 0.791 |
| 2005 | 175 | 0.788 | -0.332 – 1.785 | 0.782 |
| 2004 | 175 | 0.744 | -0.352 – 1.785 | 0.726 |
| 2003 | 175 | 0.695 | -0.352 – 1.878 | 0.631 |
| 2002 | 175 | 0.767 | -0.419 – 1.878 | 0.740 |
| 2001 | 175 | 0.776 | -0.534 – 1.878 | 0.693 |
| 2000 | 175 | 0.776 | -0.487 – 1.878 | 0.748 |
| 1999 | 175 | 0.585 | -0.662 – 1.726 | 0.549 |
| 1998 | 174 | 0.537 | -0.650 – 1.757 | 0.537 |
| 1997 | 173 | 0.536 | -0.674 – 1.763 | 0.531 |
| 1996 | 173 | 0.526 | -0.674 – 1.772 | 0.520 |
| 1995 | 173 | 0.526 | -0.665 – 1.894 | 0.520 |
| 1994 | 173 | 0.526 | -0.665 – 1.808 | 0.520 |
| 1993 | 173 | 0.515 | -0.665 – 1.772 | 0.514 |
| 1992 | 172 | 0.441 | -0.694 – 1.772 | 0.441 |
| 1991 | 171 | 0.387 | -0.968 – 1.707 | 0.327 |
| 1990 | 168 | 0.080 | -1.202 – 1.649 | 0.080 |
062024 → 2025
Who rose and fell
The biggest changes in value between the two newest editions — reference years recalculated in one report, not two separate publications. Places are shown second, because they also move when other countries do.
Improved most
before → after
Mauritius-0.880 → 1.667 · 133rd → 38th+2.547
Syria-2.362 → 0.164 · 169th → 104th+2.526- South Korea0.605 → 1.867 · 85th → 29th+1.262
Finland1.675 → 2.740 · 33rd → 12th+1.065
Ethiopia-1.254 → -0.394 · 144th → 122nd+0.860
Declined most
before → after- United States2.487 → 0.875 · 16th → 72nd−1.612
Bulgaria1.640 → 0.288 · 34th → 99th−1.352- Cuba-0.773 → -2.048 · 132nd → 162nd−1.275
Lithuania2.345 → 1.284 · 18th → 51st−1.061- Afghanistan-1.501 → -2.547 · 151st → 170th−1.046
176 countries were measured in both 2024 and 2025.
07Across every edition
Media censorship in records
The extremes of the statistic. A record reached by more than one country names none of them.
Highest reading on record
3.489
Original latent estimate (≈ −3 to +3.5); higher = less censorship
Lowest reading on record
-3.066
Original latent estimate (≈ −3 to +3.5); higher = less censorship
Biggest improvement between editions
+3.999
-2.741 → 1.258
Biggest decline between editions
−3.978
1.024 → -2.954
Most improved since first measured
+3.414
-2.227 → 1.187
At the top most often
36 of 36
editions, alone at the first-listed end
08The measure
About media censorship
V-Dem's measure of media censorship asks whether a government tries to censor newspapers, radio and television, either directly or through indirect pressure such as licences, advertising and control of printing. It is an expert-coded estimate on an open-ended scale centred near zero, and a higher figure means less censorship.
What the number is: Original latent estimate (≈ −3 to +3.5); higher = less censorship.
What it does not measure
It covers government attempts to censor print and broadcast media; online censorship, harassment of journalists and self-censorship are measured separately.
09Where it fits
Connections
Its part in the Country Index, the statistics whose values line up most closely with it across countries, and others on the same subject.
In the Country Index
Context, with no vote
This statistic is published in full under Democracy & Civil Liberties, but does not help decide any Country Index standing.
Moves with
Where media censorship is higher, these tend to be higher too.
- Freedom of Expression and Alternative Sources of Information IndexV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 176 countries in commonρ 0.94
- Liberal Democracy IndexV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 176 countries in commonρ 0.87
- Deliberative Democracy IndexV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 176 countries in commonρ 0.87
Moves against
Where media censorship is higher, these tend to be lower.
- Neopatrimonial Rule IndexV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 176 countries in commonρ −0.83
- Political Corruption IndexV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 176 countries in commonρ −0.65
- Exclusion by Socio-Economic GroupV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 174 countries in commonρ −0.57
Rank correlation (ρ, from −1 to 1) across countries, on each statistic’s newest edition, out of 379 statistics sharing at least 80 countries with this one. Two statistics that move together do not cause each other.
10Keep reading
Explore further
The subject
More from V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg
11Questions
Media censorship: questions and answers
Which country has the highest media censorship?
Belgium, at 3.489, among the 176 countries compared in 2025.
Which country has the lowest media censorship?
South Sudan, at -3.017, among the 176 countries compared in 2025.
How many countries does the Government Censorship of the Media cover?
176 in 2025. The number measured varies from 168 to 176 between editions.
What is the world average media censorship?
This site does not calculate a world average, which would depend on how countries are weighted. In the middle country of the 176 compared in 2025, the figure was 0.565.
Is this V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg’s own ranking?
No. V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg publishes the values but ranks nobody; the position on this page is derived by Nations Inquiry by ordering the published values, and equal values share a position.
How often is the Government Censorship of the Media published?
This site holds 36 reference years, 1990–2025, all recalculated in V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg’s 2026 report on one method — not 36 separate publications.
Where does the data come from, and can I download it?
From V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, under CC BY-SA 4.0. From the V-Dem Institute's Country-Year Core dataset (v16), University of Gothenburg, published under CC BY-SA 4.0. V-Dem's data runs back to 1789; the series here starts in 1990 so that every row belongs to a present-day country. Stored as the measurement model's original estimate, not V-Dem's 0–4 rescaling. Every edition is on this site’s Datasets pages as a full table, and downloads as a CSV file with every value unrounded.
12Method
Sources, method and citation
Source
Government Censorship of the Media — V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg
From the V-Dem Institute's Country-Year Core dataset (v16), University of Gothenburg, published under CC BY-SA 4.0. V-Dem's data runs back to 1789; the series here starts in 1990 so that every row belongs to a present-day country. Stored as the measurement model's original estimate, not V-Dem's 0–4 rescaling.
Newest edition
Report year 2025Data year 2025
Cite the source as: Coppedge, M. et al. V-Dem Country-Year Dataset v16. Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Project, University of Gothenburg.
Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0, checked 2026-09-26.
How this page reads the numbers
- V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg ranks nobody on this measure. The position is derived by Nations Inquiry by ordering the published values; equal values share a position.
- Which end is better follows the publisher’s own reading of the measure.
- A country is named at an end only when it holds that value alone. Where several share it, the page says how many and names none first.
- Values are stored exactly as published and trimmed only for display. “The middle country” is the median of the countries measured, not a world average.
The file itself, column by column — where it came from, what each column holds, and every edition as a CSV — is on its dataset page.
Photographs
The countries at the top of this statistic, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Belgium — Gf uip, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Denmark — User:Aconcagua, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Estonia — Andrus Uuetalu derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0 ee
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Media censorship by country: Government Censorship of the Media, data from V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg. https://nationsinquiry.com/statistics/media-censorship