Egypt scores 33.4/100 on the 2023 RSF World Press Freedom Index, ranking #166 globally. Freedom House rates it Not Free (18/100). Context: pop 100.4 million, GDP $303.18B.
2023 Press Freedom Scorecard
Overall score and global position
In the 2023 World Press Freedom Index, Egypt scores 33.37 out of 100 and ranks #166 globally — one of the most restricted press environments in the world. In the Southern Shore zone, Egypt sits at position 5 of 5 Mediterranean states with RSF data. Of the 25 Freedom House indicators, Egypt earns 0 at the maximum 4/4 and 9 at 0/4; its strongest category is Personal Autonomy (6/16) and its weakest is Associational Rights (1/12).
33.4 / 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, Egypt moved from 43.53 to 33.37 on the RSF scale (a decline of 10.16 points). The lowest recorded score was 30.23 and the highest was 43.83.
Year-over-year RSF movement
Egypt's biggest single-year RSF movement in the 2019–2023 window was a loss of 13.60 points between 2021 (43.83) and 2022 (30.23).
| Years | From | To | Δ score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 → 2020 | 43.53 | 43.18 | ▼ -0.35 |
| 2020 → 2021 | 43.18 | 43.83 | ▲ 0.65 |
| 2021 → 2022 | 43.83 | 30.23 | ▼ -13.60 |
| 2022 → 2023 | 30.23 | 33.37 | ▲ 3.14 |
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 Egypt as Not Free with a 2024 aggregate score of 18/100 — basic political rights and civil liberties are widely denied.
Within Freedom House's Africa region (56 countries), Egypt ranks #43 on the latest aggregate score — the 24th percentile. The region leaders are Cape Verde, Mauritius, São Tomé and Príncipe.
Political Rights vs Civil Liberties
Rating 6 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 Egypt from Partly Free (Partly Free, 41/100) to Not Free (Not Free, 18/100).
Status transitions
Freedom House records 1 status transition for Egypt between 2014 and 2014 — each row below marks the year the classification flipped between Free, Partly Free, and Not Free.
| Year | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Partly Free | → | Not Free |
Indicator trajectory (A–G over 12 years)
Of the 25 Freedom House indicators tracked for Egypt, 17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B1 | Right to organise in political parties | 3/4 (2013) | 0/4 (2024) | ▼ -3 |
| B2 | Opposition can gain power | 3/4 (2013) | 0/4 (2024) | ▼ -3 |
| A1 | Free and fair head-of-government elections | 2/4 (2013) | 0/4 (2024) | ▼ -2 |
| D1 | Free media | 2/4 (2013) | 0/4 (2024) | ▼ -2 |
| D4 | Private discussion | 3/4 (2013) | 1/4 (2024) | ▼ -2 |
| E1 | Freedom of assembly | 2/4 (2013) | 0/4 (2024) | ▼ -2 |
| G1 | Freedom of movement | 3/4 (2013) | 1/4 (2024) | ▼ -2 |
| A2 | Free and fair legislative elections | 0/4 (2013) | 1/4 (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
1/4
-
B4Political rights of minorities
1/4
Functioning of Government
PR
-
C1Elected officials determine government policy
0/4
-
C2Safeguards against corruption
1/4
-
C3Transparency of government
1/4
Freedom of Expression & Belief
CL
-
D1Free and independent media
0/4
-
D2Freedom of religious expression
1/4
-
D3Academic freedom
1/4
-
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
1/4
-
F2Due process in civil and criminal matters
0/4
-
F3Protection from illegitimate force
0/4
-
F4Equal treatment under the law
1/4
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 Egypt see its biggest RSF press-freedom change?
The sharpest single-year shift was an deterioration of 13.60 points between 2021 (43.83) and 2022 (30.23) on the RSF index.
Has Egypt changed Freedom House classification in the last 12 years?
Yes — Freedom House reclassified Egypt from Partly Free to Not Free in 2014, and the classification has held since.
Which Freedom House indicator moved most in Egypt?
Indicator B1 (Right to organise in political parties) changed by -3 points, moving from 3/4 to 0/4 across the available history — the biggest indicator-level movement of the 25 Freedom House sub-scores for Egypt.
How does Egypt rank within its Freedom House region?
Egypt holds position #43 of 56 in the Africa region on the latest Freedom House aggregate score. The region's top country is Cape Verde (92/100).
Where does Egypt sit among Southern Shore Mediterranean peers?
Within the Southern Shore zone, Egypt ranks #5 of 5 countries with RSF data. Its peers are Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Libya.
What is Egypt's economic context for its press freedom score?
Egypt has a GDP of $303.18B across a population of 100.4 million, giving a per-capita GDP of about $3,020. Its capital is Cairo; the official language is Modern Standard Arabic.