Montenegro scores 74.3/100 on the 2023 RSF World Press Freedom Index, ranking #39 globally. Freedom House rates it Partly Free (69/100). Context: pop 622K, GDP $5.49B.
2023 Press Freedom Scorecard
Overall score and global position
In the 2023 World Press Freedom Index, Montenegro scores 74.28 out of 100 and ranks #39 globally — a broadly open press environment. In the Northern Shore zone, Montenegro sits at position 3 of 11 Mediterranean states with RSF data. Of the 25 Freedom House indicators, Montenegro earns 1 at the maximum 4/4 and 0 at 0/4; its strongest category is Political Pluralism (12/16) and its weakest is Government Functioning (7/12).
74.3 / 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, Montenegro moved from 67.26 to 74.28 on the RSF scale (a gain of 7.02 points). The lowest recorded score was 65.67 and the highest was 74.28.
Year-over-year RSF movement
Montenegro's biggest single-year RSF movement in the 2019–2023 window was a gain of 7.74 points between 2022 (66.54) and 2023 (74.28).
| Years | From | To | Δ score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 → 2020 | 67.26 | 66.17 | ▼ -1.09 |
| 2020 → 2021 | 66.17 | 65.67 | ▼ -0.50 |
| 2021 → 2022 | 65.67 | 66.54 | ▲ 0.87 |
| 2022 → 2023 | 66.54 | 74.28 | ▲ 7.74 |
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 Montenegro as Partly Free with a 2024 aggregate score of 69/100 — political rights and civil liberties are respected in part but undercut by specific institutional or legal weaknesses.
Within Freedom House's Europe region (43 countries), Montenegro ranks #36 on the latest aggregate score — the 17th percentile. The region leaders are Finland, Sweden, Norway.
Political Rights vs Civil Liberties
Rating 3 of 7 (1 = best)
Rating 3 of 7 (1 = best)
Political rights and civil liberties are rated in similar territory, a sign that formal political channels and everyday personal freedoms move together in this country.
Twelve-year Freedom House trend
Between 2013 and 2024, Freedom House moved Montenegro from Free (Free, 72/100) to Partly Free (Partly Free, 69/100).
Status transitions
Freedom House records 1 status transition for Montenegro between 2016 and 2016 — each row below marks the year the classification flipped between Free, Partly Free, and Not Free.
| Year | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Free | → | Partly Free |
Indicator trajectory (A–G over 12 years)
Of the 25 Freedom House indicators tracked for Montenegro, 12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B2 | Opposition can gain power | 2/4 (2013) | 4/4 (2024) | ▲ +2 |
| A3 | Electoral framework | 3/4 (2013) | 2/4 (2024) | ▼ -1 |
| B3 | Free political choice | 3/4 (2013) | 2/4 (2024) | ▼ -1 |
| D4 | Private discussion | 4/4 (2013) | 3/4 (2024) | ▼ -1 |
| E1 | Freedom of assembly | 4/4 (2013) | 3/4 (2024) | ▼ -1 |
| G2 | Property rights | 3/4 (2013) | 2/4 (2024) | ▼ -1 |
| A2 | Free and fair legislative elections | 3/4 (2013) | 3/4 (2024) | • 0 |
| B1 | Right to organise in political parties | 3/4 (2013) | 3/4 (2024) | • 0 |
Latest A–G indicator scorecard
Electoral Process
PR
-
A1Free and fair head-of-government elections
3/4
-
A2Free and fair legislative elections
3/4
-
A3Electoral laws and framework
2/4
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
3/4
-
C2Safeguards against corruption
2/4
-
C3Transparency of government
2/4
Freedom of Expression & Belief
CL
-
D1Free and independent media
3/4
-
D2Freedom of religious expression
3/4
-
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
3/4
-
F4Equal treatment under the law
3/4
Personal Autonomy & Individual Rights
CL
-
G1Freedom of movement
3/4
-
G2Property rights
2/4
-
G3Personal social freedoms
3/4
-
G4Equality of opportunity
3/4
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 Montenegro see its biggest RSF press-freedom change?
The sharpest single-year shift was an improvement of 7.74 points between 2022 (66.54) and 2023 (74.28) on the RSF index.
Has Montenegro changed Freedom House classification in the last 12 years?
Yes — Freedom House reclassified Montenegro from Free to Partly Free in 2016, and the classification has held since.
Which Freedom House indicator moved most in Montenegro?
Indicator B2 (Opposition can gain power) changed by +2 points, moving from 2/4 to 4/4 across the available history — the biggest indicator-level movement of the 25 Freedom House sub-scores for Montenegro.
How does Montenegro rank within its Freedom House region?
Montenegro holds position #36 of 43 in the Europe region on the latest Freedom House aggregate score. The region's top country is Finland (100/100).
Where does Montenegro sit among Northern Shore Mediterranean peers?
Within the Northern Shore zone, Montenegro ranks #3 of 11 countries with RSF data. Its peers are France, Spain, Italy, Croatia and others.
What is Montenegro's economic context for its press freedom score?
Montenegro has a GDP of $5.49B across a population of 622K, giving a per-capita GDP of about $8,832. Its capital is Podgorica; the official language is Montenegrin language.