Iraq scores 32.9/100 on the 2023 RSF World Press Freedom Index, ranking #167 globally. Freedom House rates it Not Free (30/100). Context: pop 39.3 million, GDP $234.09B.
2023 Press Freedom Scorecard
Overall score and global position
In the 2023 World Press Freedom Index, Iraq scores 32.94 out of 100 and ranks #167 globally — one of the most restricted press environments in the world. Of the 25 Freedom House indicators, Iraq earns 0 at the maximum 4/4 and 4 at 0/4; its strongest category is Electoral Process (8/12) and its weakest is Rule of Law (1/16).
32.9 / 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, Iraq moved from 47.40 to 32.94 on the RSF scale (a decline of 14.46 points). The lowest recorded score was 28.59 and the highest was 47.40.
Year-over-year RSF movement
Iraq's biggest single-year RSF movement in the 2019–2023 window was a loss of 15.84 points between 2021 (44.43) and 2022 (28.59).
| Years | From | To | Δ score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 → 2020 | 47.40 | 44.63 | ▼ -2.77 |
| 2020 → 2021 | 44.63 | 44.43 | ▼ -0.20 |
| 2021 → 2022 | 44.43 | 28.59 | ▼ -15.84 |
| 2022 → 2023 | 28.59 | 32.94 | ▲ 4.35 |
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 Iraq as Not Free with a 2024 aggregate score of 30/100 — basic political rights and civil liberties are widely denied.
Within Freedom House's Middle East region (15 countries), Iraq ranks #5 on the latest aggregate score — the 71st percentile. The region leaders are Israel, Lebanon, Kuwait.
Political Rights vs Civil Liberties
Rating 5 of 7 (1 = best)
Rating 6 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 Iraq from Not Free (Not Free, 24/100) to Not Free (Not Free, 30/100).
Indicator trajectory (A–G over 12 years)
Of the 25 Freedom House indicators tracked for Iraq, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A2 | Free and fair legislative elections | 2/4 (2013) | 3/4 (2024) | ▲ +1 |
| B1 | Right to organise in political parties | 2/4 (2013) | 3/4 (2024) | ▲ +1 |
| B2 | Opposition can gain power | 1/4 (2013) | 2/4 (2024) | ▲ +1 |
| B3 | Free political choice | 0/4 (2013) | 1/4 (2024) | ▲ +1 |
| C3 | Government transparency | 0/4 (2013) | 1/4 (2024) | ▲ +1 |
| D4 | Private discussion | 2/4 (2013) | 1/4 (2024) | ▼ -1 |
| E3 | Trade union freedom | 1/4 (2013) | 2/4 (2024) | ▲ +1 |
| F3 | Protection from force | 0/4 (2013) | 1/4 (2024) | ▲ +1 |
Latest A–G indicator scorecard
Electoral Process
PR
-
A1Free and fair head-of-government elections
2/4
-
A2Free and fair legislative elections
3/4
-
A3Electoral laws and framework
3/4
Political Pluralism & Participation
PR
-
B1Right to organise in political parties
3/4
-
B2Opposition can realistically gain power
2/4
-
B3Free political choice without domination
1/4
-
B4Political rights of minorities
1/4
Functioning of Government
PR
-
C1Elected officials determine government policy
1/4
-
C2Safeguards against corruption
0/4
-
C3Transparency of government
1/4
Freedom of Expression & Belief
CL
-
D1Free and independent media
1/4
-
D2Freedom of religious expression
1/4
-
D3Academic freedom
1/4
-
D4Free private discussion
1/4
Associational & Organisational Rights
CL
-
E1Freedom of assembly
1/4
-
E2Freedom for NGOs
2/4
-
E3Free trade unions
2/4
Rule of Law
CL
-
F1Independent judiciary
0/4
-
F2Due process in civil and criminal matters
0/4
-
F3Protection from illegitimate force
1/4
-
F4Equal treatment under the law
0/4
Personal Autonomy & Individual Rights
CL
-
G1Freedom of movement
1/4
-
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 Iraq see its biggest RSF press-freedom change?
The sharpest single-year shift was an deterioration of 15.84 points between 2021 (44.43) and 2022 (28.59) on the RSF index.
Which Freedom House indicator moved most in Iraq?
Indicator A2 (Free and fair legislative elections) changed by +1 points, moving from 2/4 to 3/4 across the available history — the biggest indicator-level movement of the 25 Freedom House sub-scores for Iraq.
How does Iraq rank within its Freedom House region?
Iraq holds position #5 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 Iraq's economic context for its press freedom score?
Iraq has a GDP of $234.09B across a population of 39.3 million, giving a per-capita GDP of about $5,955. Its capital is Baghdad; the official language is Arabic.