Press freedom in Vanuatu
Vanuatu: Press freedom was 2 in 2016. ▲ Rising
Press freedom in Vanuatu, 1984–2016
Source: Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2016, press freedom in Vanuatu stood at 2. That is the highest value across all 32 years on record.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, press freedom in Vanuatu peaked at 2 in 1988 and was at its lowest, 1, in 1984.
That places Vanuatu 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 32 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.2 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| 1990s | 1.3 | 1 | 2 | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.9 | 1 | 2 | 10 |
| 2010s | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
Countries ranked near Vanuatu
- 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 Taiwan 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
More social development data for Vanuatu
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 0 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 13 (2025)
- Physical Integrity Rights Score 2.78 (2019)
- Asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin 961 (2025)
- Asylum-seekers by country or territory of asylum 7 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is press freedom in Vanuatu?
- Press freedom in Vanuatu was 2 in 2016, according to Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest press freedom recorded in Vanuatu?
- The highest recorded value was 2 in 1988.
- What is the lowest press freedom recorded in Vanuatu?
- The lowest recorded value was 1 in 1984.
- How does Vanuatu rank for press freedom?
- Vanuatu ranks 1st out of 194 countries with data for 2016.
- Is press freedom rising or falling in Vanuatu?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Vanuatu 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.