What is press freedom in Brazil?

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

What is the highest press freedom recorded in Brazil?

The highest recorded value was 2 in 1985.

What is the lowest press freedom recorded in Brazil?

The lowest recorded value was 1 in 1979.

How does Brazil rank for press freedom?

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

Is press freedom rising or falling in Brazil?

Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.

Where does this Brazil 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 Brazil

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

Brazil: Press freedom was 1 in 2016. ▼ Falling

Latest (2016)

Change on year

unchanged

World rank

61st

of 194 countries

All-time high

in 1985

All-time low

in 1979

Years of data

1979–2016

Press freedom in Brazil, 1979–2016

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for press freedom in Brazil is 1, measured in 2016. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.

That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.

Over the whole period, press freedom in Brazil peaked at 2 in 1985 and was at its lowest, 1, in 1979.

Brazil ranks 61st of 194 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1970s	1	1	1	1
1980s	1.5	1	2	8
1990s	1.7	1	2	10
2000s	1	1	1	10
2010s	1	1	1	7

Countries ranked near Brazil

See the full ranking of 194 places →

More social development data for Brazil

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 278,966 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 6,306 (2025)
Physical Integrity Rights Score -1.31 (2019)
Asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin 66,672 (2025)
Asylum-seekers by country or territory of asylum 119,651 (2025)
Forcibly displaced people 967,151 (2025)
Self-reported life satisfaction 6.63 (2025)
Internally displaced people (IDP) by country or territory of asylum / 19,000 (2025)
Other people in need of international protection by country or territo 549,534 (2025)
Share of people agreeing with the statement "most people can be trusted" 6.5% (2022)

All data for Brazil →

Frequently asked questions

What is press freedom in Brazil?: Press freedom in Brazil was 1 in 2016, according to Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest press freedom recorded in Brazil?: The highest recorded value was 2 in 1985.
What is the lowest press freedom recorded in Brazil?: The lowest recorded value was 1 in 1979.
How does Brazil rank for press freedom?: Brazil ranks 61st out of 194 countries with data for 2016.
Is press freedom rising or falling in Brazil?: Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Brazil 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 — 36 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.