Lebanon scores 50.5/100 on the 2023 RSF World Press Freedom Index, ranking #119 globally. Freedom House rates it Partly Free (42/100). Context: pop 6.9 million, GDP $53.37B.
2023 Press Freedom Scorecard
Overall score and global position
In the 2023 World Press Freedom Index, Lebanon scores 50.46 out of 100 and ranks #119 globally — a difficult press environment. In the Eastern Shore zone, Lebanon sits at position 2 of 4 Mediterranean states with RSF data. Of the 25 Freedom House indicators, Lebanon earns 0 at the maximum 4/4 and 3 at 0/4; its strongest category is Associational Rights (8/12) and its weakest is Government Functioning (1/12).
50.5 / 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, Lebanon moved from 67.56 to 50.46 on the RSF scale (a decline of 17.10 points). The lowest recorded score was 46.58 and the highest was 67.56.
Year-over-year RSF movement
Lebanon's biggest single-year RSF movement in the 2019–2023 window was a loss of 18.49 points between 2021 (65.07) and 2022 (46.58).
| Years | From | To | Δ score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 → 2020 | 67.56 | 66.81 | ▼ -0.75 |
| 2020 → 2021 | 66.81 | 65.07 | ▼ -1.74 |
| 2021 → 2022 | 65.07 | 46.58 | ▼ -18.49 |
| 2022 → 2023 | 46.58 | 50.46 | ▲ 3.88 |
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 Lebanon as Partly Free with a 2024 aggregate score of 42/100 — political rights and civil liberties are respected in part but undercut by specific institutional or legal weaknesses.
Within Freedom House's Middle East region (15 countries), Lebanon ranks #2 on the latest aggregate score — the 93rd percentile. The region leaders are Israel, Lebanon, Kuwait.
Political Rights vs Civil Liberties
Rating 5 of 7 (1 = best)
Rating 4 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 Lebanon from Partly Free (Partly Free, 49/100) to Partly Free (Partly Free, 42/100).
Indicator trajectory (A–G over 12 years)
Of the 25 Freedom House indicators tracked for Lebanon, 13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G1 | Freedom of movement | 3/4 (2013) | 1/4 (2024) | ▼ -2 |
| A1 | Free and fair head-of-government elections | 1/4 (2013) | 0/4 (2024) | ▼ -1 |
| B2 | Opposition can gain power | 3/4 (2013) | 2/4 (2024) | ▼ -1 |
| C2 | Anti-corruption safeguards | 1/4 (2013) | 0/4 (2024) | ▼ -1 |
| C3 | Government transparency | 1/4 (2013) | 0/4 (2024) | ▼ -1 |
| D4 | Private discussion | 3/4 (2013) | 2/4 (2024) | ▼ -1 |
| E1 | Freedom of assembly | 2/4 (2013) | 3/4 (2024) | ▲ +1 |
| F2 | Due process | 2/4 (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
2/4
-
A3Electoral laws and framework
2/4
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
2/4
Functioning of Government
PR
-
C1Elected officials determine government policy
1/4
-
C2Safeguards against corruption
0/4
-
C3Transparency of government
0/4
Freedom of Expression & Belief
CL
-
D1Free and independent media
2/4
-
D2Freedom of religious expression
3/4
-
D3Academic freedom
3/4
-
D4Free private discussion
2/4
Associational & Organisational Rights
CL
-
E1Freedom of assembly
3/4
-
E2Freedom for NGOs
3/4
-
E3Free trade unions
2/4
Rule of Law
CL
-
F1Independent judiciary
1/4
-
F2Due process in civil and criminal matters
1/4
-
F3Protection from illegitimate force
2/4
-
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 Lebanon see its biggest RSF press-freedom change?
The sharpest single-year shift was an deterioration of 18.49 points between 2021 (65.07) and 2022 (46.58) on the RSF index.
Which Freedom House indicator moved most in Lebanon?
Indicator G1 (Freedom of movement) changed by -2 points, moving from 3/4 to 1/4 across the available history — the biggest indicator-level movement of the 25 Freedom House sub-scores for Lebanon.
How does Lebanon rank within its Freedom House region?
Lebanon holds position #2 of 15 in the Middle East region on the latest Freedom House aggregate score. The region's top country is Israel (74/100).
Where does Lebanon sit among Eastern Shore Mediterranean peers?
Within the Eastern Shore zone, Lebanon ranks #2 of 4 countries with RSF data. Its peers are Israel, Turkey, Syria.
What is Lebanon's economic context for its press freedom score?
Lebanon has a GDP of $53.37B across a population of 6.9 million, giving a per-capita GDP of about $7,784. Its capital is Beirut; the official language is Arabic.