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Argentina 2023 Press Freedom Profile

Argentina scores 73.4/100 on the 2023 RSF World Press Freedom Index, ranking #40 globally. Freedom House rates it Free (85/100). Context: pop 44.9 million, GDP $449.66B.

RSF Score73.36Global rank #40
Freedom StatusFreeFH total 85/100
GDP$449.66BWorld Bank data
Population44.9 millionNational total

2023 Press Freedom Scorecard

Overall score and global position

In the 2023 World Press Freedom Index, Argentina scores 73.36 out of 100 and ranks #40 globally — a broadly open press environment. Of the 25 Freedom House indicators, Argentina earns 13 at the maximum 4/4 and 0 at 0/4; its strongest category is Political Pluralism (16/16) and its weakest is Rule of Law (10/16).

73.4 / 100

Composite index comparison

RSF Overall (Reporters Without Borders)73.4 / 100

Press freedom score — higher is freer.

Political Rights (Freedom House)35 / 40

Elections, political pluralism, government functioning.

Civil Liberties (Freedom House)50 / 60

Freedom of expression, association, rule of law, personal autonomy.

Freedom of Expression (V-Dem 2025)73.6 / 100

Academic press-freedom index from the Varieties of Democracy project (0–1 rescaled to 0–100).

Five-year RSF trend

02550751002019: 71.72020: 71.222021: 71.012022: 77.282023: 73.3620192020202120222023

Over 2019–2023, Argentina moved from 71.70 to 73.36 on the RSF scale (a gain of 1.66 points). The lowest recorded score was 71.01 and the highest was 77.28.

Year-over-year RSF movement

Argentina's biggest single-year RSF movement in the 2019–2023 window was a gain of 6.27 points between 2021 (71.01) and 2022 (77.28).

Years From To Δ score
2019 → 2020 71.70 71.22 ▼ -0.48
2020 → 2021 71.22 71.01 ▼ -0.21
2021 → 2022 71.01 77.28 ▲ 6.27
2022 → 2023 77.28 73.36 ▼ -3.92

Full socio-economic dashboard

public

Demographics & geography

Population44.9 million
Urban population41.3 million
Density17.0 people / km²
Land area2,780,400 km²
CapitalBuenos Aires
Largest cityBuenos Aires
Latitude-38.4161°
Longitude-63.6167°
Forested area9.8%
Agricultural land54.3%
CO₂ emissions201,348 kt
payments

Economy & labour

GDP$449.66B
GDP per capita$10,006
CurrencyARS
CPI232.75
CPI change (%)53.5%
Minimum wage$3.35 /hr
Unemployment rate9.8%
Labor-force participation61.3%
Tax revenue (% of GDP)10.1%
Total tax rate106.3%
Gasoline price$1.10 /L
medical_services

Health

Life expectancy76.5 years
Birth rate17.02 / 1 000
Fertility rate2.26 births / woman
Infant mortality8.8 / 1 000 live births
Maternal mortality ratio39 / 100 000 live births
Physicians3.96 / 1 000 people
Out-of-pocket health spend17.6%
school

Education

Gross primary enrollment109.7%
Gross tertiary enrollment90.0%
account_balance

Administration

Official languageSpanish
ISO abbreviationAR
Calling code+54
Armed forces size105,000 personnel

All socio-economic indicators from the World Bank country dataset (2023 snapshot).

Democratic Rights & Civil Liberties

Freedom status explained

Freedom House classifies Argentina as Free with a 2024 aggregate score of 85/100 — meaning national institutions reliably protect political rights and civil liberties.

Within Freedom House's Americas region (35 countries), Argentina ranks #14 on the latest aggregate score — the 62nd percentile. The region leaders are Canada, Uruguay, Barbados.

Political Rights vs Civil Liberties

Political Rights

35/ 40

Rating 2 of 7 (1 = best)

Civil Liberties

50/ 60

Rating 2 of 7 (1 = best)

Political rights and civil liberties are rated in similar territory, a sign that formal political channels and everyday personal freedoms move together in this country.

Twelve-year Freedom House trend

02550751002013: 802014: 802015: 802016: 792017: 822018: 832019: 842020: 852021: 842022: 842023: 852024: 85201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024

Between 2013 and 2024, Freedom House moved Argentina from Free (Free, 80/100) to Free (Free, 85/100).

Indicator trajectory (A–G over 12 years)

Of the 25 Freedom House indicators tracked for Argentina, 8 moved at least one point across the available Freedom House history. The eight with the largest absolute change appear below.

Code Indicator Earliest Latest Δ
B2 Opposition can gain power 3/4 (2013) 4/4 (2024) ▲ +1
B4 Minority political rights 3/4 (2013) 4/4 (2024) ▲ +1
C2 Anti-corruption safeguards 1/4 (2013) 2/4 (2024) ▲ +1
C3 Government transparency 2/4 (2013) 3/4 (2024) ▲ +1
D1 Free media 2/4 (2013) 3/4 (2024) ▲ +1
F3 Protection from force 3/4 (2013) 2/4 (2024) ▼ -1
G2 Property rights 2/4 (2013) 3/4 (2024) ▲ +1
G1 Freedom of movement 4/4 (2013) 4/4 (2024) • 0

Latest A–G indicator scorecard

A.

Electoral Process

PR

Subtotal11 / 12
  • A1Free and fair head-of-government elections

    4/4

  • A2Free and fair legislative elections

    4/4

  • A3Electoral laws and framework

    3/4

B.

Political Pluralism & Participation

PR

Subtotal16 / 16
  • B1Right to organise in political parties

    4/4

  • B2Opposition can realistically gain power

    4/4

  • B3Free political choice without domination

    4/4

  • B4Political rights of minorities

    4/4

C.

Functioning of Government

PR

Subtotal8 / 12
  • C1Elected officials determine government policy

    3/4

  • C2Safeguards against corruption

    2/4

  • C3Transparency of government

    3/4

D.

Freedom of Expression & Belief

CL

Subtotal15 / 16
  • D1Free and independent media

    3/4

  • D2Freedom of religious expression

    4/4

  • D3Academic freedom

    4/4

  • D4Free private discussion

    4/4

E.

Associational & Organisational Rights

CL

Subtotal11 / 12
  • E1Freedom of assembly

    4/4

  • E2Freedom for NGOs

    4/4

  • E3Free trade unions

    3/4

F.

Rule of Law

CL

Subtotal10 / 16
  • F1Independent judiciary

    2/4

  • F2Due process in civil and criminal matters

    3/4

  • F3Protection from illegitimate force

    2/4

  • F4Equal treatment under the law

    3/4

G.

Personal Autonomy & Individual Rights

CL

Subtotal14 / 16
  • G1Freedom of movement

    4/4

  • G2Property rights

    3/4

  • G3Personal social freedoms

    4/4

  • G4Equality of opportunity

    3/4

Each indicator is scored 0–4 by Freedom House analysts; category subtotals combine into the Political Rights (A + B + C = 0–40) and Civil Liberties (D + E + F + G = 0–60) aggregates shown above. 2024 edition.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did Argentina see its biggest RSF press-freedom change?

The sharpest single-year shift was an improvement of 6.27 points between 2021 (71.01) and 2022 (77.28) on the RSF index.

Which Freedom House indicator moved most in Argentina?

Indicator B2 (Opposition can gain power) changed by +1 points, moving from 3/4 to 4/4 across the available history — the biggest indicator-level movement of the 25 Freedom House sub-scores for Argentina.

How does Argentina rank within its Freedom House region?

Argentina holds position #14 of 35 in the Americas region on the latest Freedom House aggregate score. The region's top country is Canada (97/100).

What is Argentina's economic context for its press freedom score?

Argentina has a GDP of $449.66B across a population of 44.9 million, giving a per-capita GDP of about $10,006. Its capital is Buenos Aires; the official language is Spanish.