What is press freedom in Afghanistan?

Press freedom in Afghanistan was 1 in 2016, according to Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest press freedom recorded in Afghanistan?

The highest recorded value was 1 in 2016.

What is the lowest press freedom recorded in Afghanistan?

The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1979.

How does Afghanistan rank for press freedom?

Afghanistan ranks 61st out of 194 countries with data for 2016.

Where does this Afghanistan data come from?

The figures come from Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Press freedom. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Press freedom in Afghanistan

Name: Press freedom in Afghanistan
Creator: Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Afghanistan: Press freedom was 1 in 2016. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2016)

World rank

61st

of 194 countries

All-time high

in 2016

All-time low

in 1979

Years of data

1979–2016

Press freedom in Afghanistan, 1979–2016

Source: Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

Afghanistan recorded 1 for press freedom in 2016. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.

Over the whole period, press freedom in Afghanistan peaked at 1 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1979.

That places Afghanistan 61st out of 194 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Highest	Years
1970s	0	0	1
1980s	0	0	8
1990s	0	0	10
2000s	0	0	9
2010s	0.1429	1	7

Countries ranked near Afghanistan

See the full ranking of 194 places →

More social development data for Afghanistan

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 20,869 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 2.67 million (2025)
Physical Integrity Rights Score -1.64 (2019)
Asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin 270,007 (2025)
Asylum-seekers by country or territory of asylum 382 (2025)
Forcibly displaced people 4.38 million (2025)
Self-reported life satisfaction 1.45 (2025)
Internally displaced people (IDP) by country or territory of asylum / 4.36 million (2025)

All data for Afghanistan →

Frequently asked questions

What is press freedom in Afghanistan?: Press freedom in Afghanistan was 1 in 2016, according to Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest press freedom recorded in Afghanistan?: The highest recorded value was 1 in 2016.
What is the lowest press freedom recorded in Afghanistan?: The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1979.
How does Afghanistan rank for press freedom?: Afghanistan ranks 61st out of 194 countries with data for 2016.
Where does this Afghanistan data come from?: The figures come from Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Press freedom. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator: Press freedom
Source: Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 194 places, 6,417 data points, 1979–2016
Last refreshed: 06 August 2026

Based on the classification and data by Freedom House. It captures the legal, political, and economic environment of the press.