Eswatini scores 52.7/100 on the 2023 RSF World Press Freedom Index, ranking #111 globally. Freedom House rates it Not Free (17/100). Context: pop 1.1 million, GDP $3.79B.
2023 Press Freedom Scorecard
Overall score and global position
In the 2023 World Press Freedom Index, Eswatini scores 52.66 out of 100 and ranks #111 globally — a difficult press environment. Of the 25 Freedom House indicators, Eswatini earns 0 at the maximum 4/4 and 11 at 0/4; its strongest category is Freedom of Expression (5/16) and its weakest is Government Functioning (0/12).
52.7 / 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, Eswatini moved from 50.91 to 52.66 on the RSF scale (a gain of 1.75 points). The lowest recorded score was 46.42 and the highest was 54.85.
Year-over-year RSF movement
Eswatini's biggest single-year RSF movement in the 2019–2023 window was a loss of 7.24 points between 2021 (53.66) and 2022 (46.42).
| Years | From | To | Δ score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 → 2020 | 50.91 | 54.85 | ▲ 3.94 |
| 2020 → 2021 | 54.85 | 53.66 | ▼ -1.19 |
| 2021 → 2022 | 53.66 | 46.42 | ▼ -7.24 |
| 2022 → 2023 | 46.42 | 52.66 | ▲ 6.24 |
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 Eswatini as Not Free with a 2024 aggregate score of 17/100 — basic political rights and civil liberties are widely denied.
Within Freedom House's Africa region (56 countries), Eswatini ranks #44 on the latest aggregate score — the 22nd percentile. The region leaders are Cape Verde, Mauritius, São Tomé and Príncipe.
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 Eswatini from Not Free (Not Free, 21/100) to Not Free (Not Free, 17/100).
Indicator trajectory (A–G over 12 years)
Of the 25 Freedom House indicators tracked for Eswatini, 9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D2 | Religious expression | 3/4 (2013) | 2/4 (2024) | ▼ -1 |
| D3 | Academic freedom | 2/4 (2013) | 1/4 (2024) | ▼ -1 |
| D4 | Private discussion | 2/4 (2013) | 1/4 (2024) | ▼ -1 |
| E3 | Trade union freedom | 2/4 (2013) | 1/4 (2024) | ▼ -1 |
| F3 | Protection from force | 1/4 (2013) | 0/4 (2024) | ▼ -1 |
| G1 | Freedom of movement | 1/4 (2013) | 2/4 (2024) | ▲ +1 |
| D1 | Free media | 1/4 (2013) | 1/4 (2024) | • 0 |
| E1 | Freedom of assembly | 0/4 (2013) | 0/4 (2024) | • 0 |
Latest A–G indicator scorecard
Electoral Process
PR
-
A1Free and fair head-of-government elections
0/4
-
A2Free and fair legislative elections
0/4
-
A3Electoral laws and framework
0/4
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
1/4
Functioning of Government
PR
-
C1Elected officials determine government policy
0/4
-
C2Safeguards against corruption
0/4
-
C3Transparency of government
0/4
Freedom of Expression & Belief
CL
-
D1Free and independent media
1/4
-
D2Freedom of religious expression
2/4
-
D3Academic freedom
1/4
-
D4Free private discussion
1/4
Associational & Organisational Rights
CL
-
E1Freedom of assembly
0/4
-
E2Freedom for NGOs
1/4
-
E3Free trade unions
1/4
Rule of Law
CL
-
F1Independent judiciary
2/4
-
F2Due process in civil and criminal matters
1/4
-
F3Protection from illegitimate force
0/4
-
F4Equal treatment under the law
1/4
Personal Autonomy & Individual Rights
CL
-
G1Freedom of movement
2/4
-
G2Property rights
1/4
-
G3Personal social freedoms
1/4
-
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 Eswatini see its biggest RSF press-freedom change?
The sharpest single-year shift was an deterioration of 7.24 points between 2021 (53.66) and 2022 (46.42) on the RSF index.
Which Freedom House indicator moved most in Eswatini?
Indicator D2 (Religious expression) changed by -1 points, moving from 3/4 to 2/4 across the available history — the biggest indicator-level movement of the 25 Freedom House sub-scores for Eswatini.
How does Eswatini rank within its Freedom House region?
Eswatini holds position #44 of 56 in the Africa region on the latest Freedom House aggregate score. The region's top country is Cape Verde (92/100).
What is Eswatini's economic context for its press freedom score?
Eswatini has a GDP of $3.79B across a population of 1.1 million, giving a per-capita GDP of about $3,468. Its capital is Mbabane; the official language is English.