Press freedom in Taiwan
Taiwan: Press freedom was 2 in 2016. ▲ Rising
Press freedom in Taiwan, 1979–2016
Source: Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2016, press freedom in Taiwan stood at 2. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, press freedom in Taiwan peaked at 2 in 1993 and was at its lowest, 1, in 1979.
That places Taiwan 1st out of 194 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1980s | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| 1990s | 1.7 | 1 | 2 | 10 |
| 2000s | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| 2010s | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
Countries ranked near Taiwan
- 1 Andorra 2 compare
- 1 Australia 2 compare
- 1 Austria 2 compare
- 1 Bahamas 2 compare
- 1 Barbados 2 compare
- 1 Belgium 2 compare
- 1 Belize 2 compare
- 1 Canada 2 compare
- 1 Cape Verde 2 compare
- 1 Chile 2 compare
- 1 Costa Rica 2 compare
- 1 Cyprus 2 compare
- 1 Czechia 2 compare
- 1 Denmark 2 compare
- 1 Dominica 2 compare
- 1 Estonia 2 compare
- 1 Finland 2 compare
- 1 France 2 compare
- 1 Germany 2 compare
- 1 Grenada 2 compare
- 1 Iceland 2 compare
- 1 Ireland 2 compare
- 1 Jamaica 2 compare
- 1 Japan 2 compare
- 1 Kiribati 2 compare
- 1 Latvia 2 compare
- 1 Liechtenstein 2 compare
- 1 Lithuania 2 compare
- 1 Luxembourg 2 compare
- 1 Malta 2 compare
- 1 Marshall Islands 2 compare
- 1 Mauritius 2 compare
- 1 Monaco 2 compare
- 1 Netherlands 2 compare
- 1 New Zealand 2 compare
- 1 Norway 2 compare
- 1 Palau 2 compare
- 1 Papua New Guinea 2 compare
- 1 Portugal 2 compare
- 1 Saint Kitts and Nevis 2 compare
- 1 Saint Lucia 2 compare
- 1 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2 compare
- 1 Samoa 2 compare
- 1 San Marino 2 compare
- 1 Sao Tome and Principe 2 compare
- 1 Slovakia 2 compare
- 1 Slovenia 2 compare
- 1 Solomon Islands 2 compare
- 1 Spain 2 compare
- 1 Suriname 2 compare
- 1 Sweden 2 compare
- 1 Switzerland 2 compare
- 1 Tonga 2 compare
- 1 Trinidad and Tobago 2 compare
- 1 Tuvalu 2 compare
- 1 United Kingdom 2 compare
- 1 United States 2 compare
- 1 Uruguay 2 compare
- 1 Vanuatu 2 compare
More social development data for Taiwan
- Physical Integrity Rights Score 3.13 (2019)
- Self-reported life satisfaction 6.71 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is press freedom in Taiwan?
- Press freedom in Taiwan was 2 in 2016, according to Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest press freedom recorded in Taiwan?
- The highest recorded value was 2 in 1993.
- What is the lowest press freedom recorded in Taiwan?
- The lowest recorded value was 1 in 1979.
- How does Taiwan rank for press freedom?
- Taiwan ranks 1st out of 194 countries with data for 2016.
- Is press freedom rising or falling in Taiwan?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Taiwan 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
Based on the classification and data by Freedom House. It captures the legal, political, and economic environment of the press.