What is press freedom in El Salvador?

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

What is the highest press freedom recorded in El Salvador?

The highest recorded value was 1 in 1979.

What is the lowest press freedom recorded in El Salvador?

The lowest recorded value was 0 in 2003.

How does El Salvador rank for press freedom?

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

Is press freedom rising or falling in El Salvador?

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

Where does this El Salvador 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 El Salvador

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

El Salvador: Press freedom was 1 in 2016. ▬ Flat

Latest (2016)

Change on year

unchanged

World rank

61st

of 194 countries

All-time high

in 1979

All-time low

in 2003

Years of data

1979–2016

Press freedom in El Salvador, 1979–2016

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

Analysis

El Salvador recorded 1 for press freedom in 2016. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.

That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.

Over the whole period, press freedom in El Salvador peaked at 1 in 1979 and was at its lowest, 0, in 2003.

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

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1970s	1	1	1	1
1980s	1	1	1	8
1990s	1	1	1	10
2000s	0.9	0	1	10
2010s	1	1	1	7

Countries ranked near El Salvador

See the full ranking of 194 places →

More social development data for El Salvador

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 182 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 68,182 (2025)
Physical Integrity Rights Score 0.2715 (2019)
Asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin 108,289 (2025)
Asylum-seekers by country or territory of asylum 328 (2025)
Forcibly displaced people 61,510 (2025)
Self-reported life satisfaction 6.58 (2025)

All data for El Salvador →

Frequently asked questions

What is press freedom in El Salvador?: Press freedom in El Salvador was 1 in 2016, according to Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest press freedom recorded in El Salvador?: The highest recorded value was 1 in 1979.
What is the lowest press freedom recorded in El Salvador?: The lowest recorded value was 0 in 2003.
How does El Salvador rank for press freedom?: El Salvador ranks 61st out of 194 countries with data for 2016.
Is press freedom rising or falling in El Salvador?: Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this El Salvador 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

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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.