Nauru 2023 Press Freedom: Free

Nauru is not rated by the RSF index; Freedom House classifies it as Free with a total score of 77/100. Context: pop 10K, GDP $133.0M.

RSF Score——

Freedom StatusFreeFH total 77/100

GDP$133.0MWorld Bank data

Population10KNational total

2023 Press Freedom Scorecard

Overall score and global position

Nauru is not currently scored by the RSF World Press Freedom Index or by the V-Dem Freedom of Expression project; the profile relies on Freedom House and World Bank indicators below. Of the 25 Freedom House indicators, Nauru earns 7 at the maximum 4/4 and 0 at 0/4; its strongest category is Electoral Process (12/12) and its weakest is Rule of Law (9/16).

Composite index comparison

Political Rights (Freedom House)34 / 40

Elections, political pluralism, government functioning.

Civil Liberties (Freedom House)43 / 60

Freedom of expression, association, rule of law, personal autonomy.

Full socio-economic dashboard

public

Demographics & geography

Population10K

Urban population—

Density541.0 people / km²

Land area21 km²

CapitalYaren District

Largest city—

Latitude-0.5228°

Longitude166.9315°

Forested area—

Agricultural land—

CO₂ emissions—

payments

Economy & labour

GDP$133.0M

GDP per capita$13,189

CurrencyAUD

CPI—

CPI change (%)—

Minimum wage—

Unemployment rate—

Labor-force participation—

Tax revenue (% of GDP)—

Total tax rate—

Gasoline price—

medical_services

Health

Life expectancy—

Birth rate—

Fertility rate—

Infant mortality—

Maternal mortality ratio—

Physicians—

Out-of-pocket health spend—

school

Education

Gross primary enrollment—

Gross tertiary enrollment—

account_balance

Administration

Official languageEnglish

ISO abbreviationNR

Calling code+674

Armed forces size—

All socio-economic indicators from the World Bank country dataset (2023 snapshot).

Democratic Rights & Civil Liberties

Freedom status explained

Freedom House classifies Nauru as Free with a 2024 aggregate score of 77/100 — meaning national institutions reliably protect political rights and civil liberties.

Within Freedom House's Asia region (43 countries), Nauru ranks #15 on the latest aggregate score — the 67th percentile. The region leaders are New Zealand, Japan, Australia.

Political Rights vs Civil Liberties

Political Rights

34/ 40

Rating 2 of 7 (1 = best)

Civil Liberties

43/ 60

Rating 3 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 Nauru from Free (Free, 93/100) to Free (Free, 77/100).

Indicator trajectory (A–G over 12 years)

Of the 25 Freedom House indicators tracked for Nauru, 14 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
F1	Independent judiciary	4/4 (2013)	2/4 (2024)	▼ -2
F2	Due process	4/4 (2013)	2/4 (2024)	▼ -2
B2	Opposition can gain power	4/4 (2013)	3/4 (2024)	▼ -1
B4	Minority political rights	4/4 (2013)	3/4 (2024)	▼ -1
C1	Elected officials govern	4/4 (2013)	3/4 (2024)	▼ -1
C3	Government transparency	3/4 (2013)	2/4 (2024)	▼ -1
D1	Free media	3/4 (2013)	2/4 (2024)	▼ -1
D4	Private discussion	4/4 (2013)	3/4 (2024)	▼ -1

Latest A–G indicator scorecard

Electoral Process

Subtotal12 / 12

A1Free and fair head-of-government elections

4/4
A2Free and fair legislative elections

4/4
A3Electoral laws and framework

4/4

Political Pluralism & Participation

Subtotal14 / 16

B1Right to organise in political parties

4/4
B2Opposition can realistically gain power

3/4
B3Free political choice without domination

4/4
B4Political rights of minorities

3/4

Functioning of Government

Subtotal8 / 12

C1Elected officials determine government policy

3/4
C2Safeguards against corruption

3/4
C3Transparency of government

2/4

Freedom of Expression & Belief

Subtotal13 / 16

D1Free and independent media

2/4
D2Freedom of religious expression

4/4
D3Academic freedom

4/4
D4Free private discussion

3/4

Associational & Organisational Rights

Subtotal9 / 12

E1Freedom of assembly

3/4
E2Freedom for NGOs

3/4
E3Free trade unions

3/4

Rule of Law

Subtotal9 / 16

F1Independent judiciary

2/4
F2Due process in civil and criminal matters

2/4
F3Protection from illegitimate force

3/4
F4Equal treatment under the law

2/4

Personal Autonomy & Individual Rights

Subtotal12 / 16

G1Freedom of movement

3/4
G2Property rights

3/4
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

Which Freedom House indicator moved most in Nauru?

Indicator F1 (Independent judiciary) changed by -2 points, moving from 4/4 to 2/4 across the available history — the biggest indicator-level movement of the 25 Freedom House sub-scores for Nauru.

How does Nauru rank within its Freedom House region?

Nauru holds position #15 of 43 in the Asia region on the latest Freedom House aggregate score. The region's top country is New Zealand (99/100).

What is Nauru's economic context for its press freedom score?

Nauru has a GDP of $133.0M across a population of 10K, giving a per-capita GDP of about $13,189. Its capital is Yaren District; the official language is English.