Ecuador scores 60.5/100 on the 2023 RSF World Press Freedom Index, ranking #80 globally. Freedom House rates it Partly Free (67/100). Context: pop 17.4 million, GDP $107.44B.
2023 Press Freedom Scorecard
Overall score and global position
In the 2023 World Press Freedom Index, Ecuador scores 60.51 out of 100 and ranks #80 globally — a satisfactory-to-problematic press environment. Of the 25 Freedom House indicators, Ecuador earns 4 at the maximum 4/4 and 0 at 0/4; its strongest category is Electoral Process (11/12) and its weakest is Rule of Law (7/16).
60.5 / 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, Ecuador moved from 68.12 to 60.51 on the RSF scale (a decline of 7.61 points). The lowest recorded score was 60.51 and the highest was 68.12.
Year-over-year RSF movement
Ecuador's biggest single-year RSF movement in the 2019–2023 window was a loss of 4.10 points between 2022 (64.61) and 2023 (60.51).
| Years | From | To | Δ score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 → 2020 | 68.12 | 67.38 | ▼ -0.74 |
| 2020 → 2021 | 67.38 | 67.17 | ▼ -0.21 |
| 2021 → 2022 | 67.17 | 64.61 | ▼ -2.56 |
| 2022 → 2023 | 64.61 | 60.51 | ▼ -4.10 |
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 Ecuador as Partly Free with a 2024 aggregate score of 67/100 — political rights and civil liberties are respected in part but undercut by specific institutional or legal weaknesses.
Within Freedom House's Americas region (35 countries), Ecuador ranks #24 on the latest aggregate score — the 32nd percentile. The region leaders are Canada, Uruguay, Barbados.
Political Rights vs Civil Liberties
Rating 3 of 7 (1 = best)
Rating 3 of 7 (1 = best)
Political rights are rated noticeably higher than civil liberties — the formal political framework is more open than the day-to-day environment for expression, association, and personal autonomy.
Twelve-year Freedom House trend
Between 2013 and 2024, Freedom House moved Ecuador from Partly Free (Partly Free, 60/100) to Partly Free (Partly Free, 67/100).
Status transitions
Freedom House records 2 status transitions for Ecuador between 2022 and 2024 — each row below marks the year the classification flipped between Free, Partly Free, and Not Free.
| Year | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Partly Free | → | Free |
| 2024 | Free | → | Partly Free |
Indicator trajectory (A–G over 12 years)
Of the 25 Freedom House indicators tracked for Ecuador, 16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A3 | Electoral framework | 1/4 (2013) | 3/4 (2024) | ▲ +2 |
| B2 | Opposition can gain power | 2/4 (2013) | 4/4 (2024) | ▲ +2 |
| A1 | Free and fair head-of-government elections | 3/4 (2013) | 4/4 (2024) | ▲ +1 |
| A2 | Free and fair legislative elections | 3/4 (2013) | 4/4 (2024) | ▲ +1 |
| B3 | Free political choice | 3/4 (2013) | 2/4 (2024) | ▼ -1 |
| C1 | Elected officials govern | 3/4 (2013) | 2/4 (2024) | ▼ -1 |
| C2 | Anti-corruption safeguards | 1/4 (2013) | 2/4 (2024) | ▲ +1 |
| D1 | Free media | 1/4 (2013) | 2/4 (2024) | ▲ +1 |
Latest A–G indicator scorecard
Electoral Process
PR
-
A1Free and fair head-of-government elections
4/4
-
A2Free and fair legislative elections
4/4
-
A3Electoral laws and framework
3/4
Political Pluralism & Participation
PR
-
B1Right to organise in political parties
3/4
-
B2Opposition can realistically gain power
4/4
-
B3Free political choice without domination
2/4
-
B4Political rights of minorities
3/4
Functioning of Government
PR
-
C1Elected officials determine government policy
2/4
-
C2Safeguards against corruption
2/4
-
C3Transparency of government
2/4
Freedom of Expression & Belief
CL
-
D1Free and independent media
2/4
-
D2Freedom of religious expression
4/4
-
D3Academic freedom
3/4
-
D4Free private discussion
3/4
Associational & Organisational Rights
CL
-
E1Freedom of assembly
3/4
-
E2Freedom for NGOs
3/4
-
E3Free trade unions
3/4
Rule of Law
CL
-
F1Independent judiciary
2/4
-
F2Due process in civil and criminal matters
2/4
-
F3Protection from illegitimate force
1/4
-
F4Equal treatment under the law
2/4
Personal Autonomy & Individual Rights
CL
-
G1Freedom of movement
3/4
-
G2Property rights
2/4
-
G3Personal social freedoms
3/4
-
G4Equality of opportunity
2/4
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 Ecuador see its biggest RSF press-freedom change?
The sharpest single-year shift was an deterioration of 4.10 points between 2022 (64.61) and 2023 (60.51) on the RSF index.
Has Ecuador changed Freedom House classification in the last 12 years?
Yes — Freedom House records 2 status changes for Ecuador, starting with a move from Partly Free to Free in 2022 and ending with Free to Partly Free in 2024.
Which Freedom House indicator moved most in Ecuador?
Indicator A3 (Electoral framework) changed by +2 points, moving from 1/4 to 3/4 across the available history — the biggest indicator-level movement of the 25 Freedom House sub-scores for Ecuador.
How does Ecuador rank within its Freedom House region?
Ecuador holds position #24 of 35 in the Americas region on the latest Freedom House aggregate score. The region's top country is Canada (97/100).
What is Ecuador's economic context for its press freedom score?
Ecuador has a GDP of $107.44B across a population of 17.4 million, giving a per-capita GDP of about $6,184. Its capital is Quito; the official language is Spanish.