Bahrain scores 30.6/100 on the 2023 RSF World Press Freedom Index, ranking #171 globally. Freedom House rates it Not Free (12/100). Context: pop 1.5 million, GDP $38.57B.
2023 Press Freedom Scorecard
Overall score and global position
In the 2023 World Press Freedom Index, Bahrain scores 30.59 out of 100 and ranks #171 globally — one of the most restricted press environments in the world. Of the 25 Freedom House indicators, Bahrain earns 0 at the maximum 4/4 and 14 at 0/4; its strongest category is Personal Autonomy (6/16) and its weakest is Political Pluralism (0/16).
30.6 / 100
Composite index comparison
Press freedom score — higher is freer.
Elections, political pluralism, government functioning.
Freedom of expression, association, rule of law, personal autonomy.
Academic press-freedom index from the Varieties of Democracy project (0–1 rescaled to 0–100).
Five-year RSF trend
Over 2019–2023, Bahrain moved from 38.69 to 30.59 on the RSF scale (a decline of 8.10 points). The lowest recorded score was 30.59 and the highest was 39.87.
Year-over-year RSF movement
Bahrain's biggest single-year RSF movement in the 2019–2023 window was a loss of 7.93 points between 2021 (38.90) and 2022 (30.97).
| Years | From | To | Δ score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 → 2020 | 38.69 | 39.87 | ▲ 1.18 |
| 2020 → 2021 | 39.87 | 38.90 | ▼ -0.97 |
| 2021 → 2022 | 38.90 | 30.97 | ▼ -7.93 |
| 2022 → 2023 | 30.97 | 30.59 | ▼ -0.38 |
Full socio-economic dashboard
Demographics & geography
Economy & labour
Health
Education
Administration
All socio-economic indicators from the World Bank country dataset (2023 snapshot).
Democratic Rights & Civil Liberties
Freedom status explained
Freedom House classifies Bahrain as Not Free with a 2024 aggregate score of 12/100 — basic political rights and civil liberties are widely denied.
Within Freedom House's Middle East region (15 countries), Bahrain ranks #10 on the latest aggregate score — the 36th percentile. The region leaders are Israel, Lebanon, Kuwait.
Political Rights vs Civil Liberties
Rating 7 of 7 (1 = best)
Rating 6 of 7 (1 = best)
Civil liberties are rated higher than political rights — everyday freedoms are better protected than the formal political framework (elections, pluralism, government functioning).
Twelve-year Freedom House trend
Between 2013 and 2024, Freedom House moved Bahrain from Not Free (Not Free, 18/100) to Not Free (Not Free, 12/100).
Indicator trajectory (A–G over 12 years)
Of the 25 Freedom House indicators tracked for Bahrain, 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A2 | Free and fair legislative elections | 2/4 (2013) | 1/4 (2024) | ▼ -1 |
| B1 | Right to organise in political parties | 1/4 (2013) | 0/4 (2024) | ▼ -1 |
| B2 | Opposition can gain power | 1/4 (2013) | 0/4 (2024) | ▼ -1 |
| C1 | Elected officials govern | 1/4 (2013) | 0/4 (2024) | ▼ -1 |
| D2 | Religious expression | 2/4 (2013) | 1/4 (2024) | ▼ -1 |
| E2 | NGO freedom | 1/4 (2013) | 0/4 (2024) | ▼ -1 |
Latest A–G indicator scorecard
Electoral Process
PR
-
A1Free and fair head-of-government elections
0/4
-
A2Free and fair legislative elections
1/4
-
A3Electoral laws and framework
1/4
Political Pluralism & Participation
PR
-
B1Right to organise in political parties
0/4
-
B2Opposition can realistically gain power
0/4
-
B3Free political choice without domination
0/4
-
B4Political rights of minorities
0/4
Functioning of Government
PR
-
C1Elected officials determine government policy
0/4
-
C2Safeguards against corruption
2/4
-
C3Transparency of government
0/4
Freedom of Expression & Belief
CL
-
D1Free and independent media
0/4
-
D2Freedom of religious expression
1/4
-
D3Academic freedom
0/4
-
D4Free private discussion
1/4
Associational & Organisational Rights
CL
-
E1Freedom of assembly
0/4
-
E2Freedom for NGOs
0/4
-
E3Free trade unions
1/4
Rule of Law
CL
-
F1Independent judiciary
0/4
-
F2Due process in civil and criminal matters
1/4
-
F3Protection from illegitimate force
0/4
-
F4Equal treatment under the law
0/4
Personal Autonomy & Individual Rights
CL
-
G1Freedom of movement
1/4
-
G2Property rights
2/4
-
G3Personal social freedoms
2/4
-
G4Equality of opportunity
1/4
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 Bahrain see its biggest RSF press-freedom change?
The sharpest single-year shift was an deterioration of 7.93 points between 2021 (38.90) and 2022 (30.97) on the RSF index.
Which Freedom House indicator moved most in Bahrain?
Indicator A2 (Free and fair legislative elections) changed by -1 points, moving from 2/4 to 1/4 across the available history — the biggest indicator-level movement of the 25 Freedom House sub-scores for Bahrain.
How does Bahrain rank within its Freedom House region?
Bahrain holds position #10 of 15 in the Middle East region on the latest Freedom House aggregate score. The region's top country is Israel (74/100).
What is Bahrain's economic context for its press freedom score?
Bahrain has a GDP of $38.57B across a population of 1.5 million, giving a per-capita GDP of about $25,688. Its capital is Manama; the official language is Arabic.