Nicaragua scores 37.1/100 on the 2023 RSF World Press Freedom Index, ranking #158 globally. Freedom House rates it Not Free (16/100). Context: pop 6.5 million, GDP $12.52B.
2023 Press Freedom Scorecard
Overall score and global position
In the 2023 World Press Freedom Index, Nicaragua scores 37.09 out of 100 and ranks #158 globally — one of the most restricted press environments in the world. Of the 25 Freedom House indicators, Nicaragua earns 0 at the maximum 4/4 and 13 at 0/4; its strongest category is Personal Autonomy (6/16) and its weakest is Electoral Process (0/12).
37.1 / 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, Nicaragua moved from 64.47 to 37.09 on the RSF scale (a decline of 27.38 points). The lowest recorded score was 37.09 and the highest was 64.47.
Year-over-year RSF movement
Nicaragua's biggest single-year RSF movement in the 2019–2023 window was a loss of 22.93 points between 2021 (60.02) and 2022 (37.09).
| Years | From | To | Δ score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 → 2020 | 64.47 | 64.19 | ▼ -0.28 |
| 2020 → 2021 | 64.19 | 60.02 | ▼ -4.17 |
| 2021 → 2022 | 60.02 | 37.09 | ▼ -22.93 |
| 2022 → 2023 | 37.09 | 37.09 | ▲ 0.00 |
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 Nicaragua as Not Free with a 2024 aggregate score of 16/100 — basic political rights and civil liberties are widely denied.
Within Freedom House's Americas region (35 countries), Nicaragua ranks #33 on the latest aggregate score — the 6th percentile. The region leaders are Canada, Uruguay, Barbados.
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 Nicaragua from Partly Free (Partly Free, 51/100) to Not Free (Not Free, 16/100).
Status transitions
Freedom House records 1 status transition for Nicaragua between 2019 and 2019 — each row below marks the year the classification flipped between Free, Partly Free, and Not Free.
| Year | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Partly Free | → | Not Free |
Indicator trajectory (A–G over 12 years)
Of the 25 Freedom House indicators tracked for Nicaragua, 23 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 | 4/4 (2013) | 1/4 (2024) | ▼ -3 |
| D4 | Private discussion | 3/4 (2013) | 0/4 (2024) | ▼ -3 |
| A1 | Free and fair head-of-government elections | 2/4 (2013) | 0/4 (2024) | ▼ -2 |
| A2 | Free and fair legislative elections | 2/4 (2013) | 0/4 (2024) | ▼ -2 |
| A3 | Electoral framework | 2/4 (2013) | 0/4 (2024) | ▼ -2 |
| B1 | Right to organise in political parties | 2/4 (2013) | 0/4 (2024) | ▼ -2 |
| C1 | Elected officials govern | 2/4 (2013) | 0/4 (2024) | ▼ -2 |
| D1 | Free media | 2/4 (2013) | 0/4 (2024) | ▼ -2 |
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
2/4
Functioning of Government
PR
-
C1Elected officials determine government policy
0/4
-
C2Safeguards against corruption
1/4
-
C3Transparency of government
1/4
Freedom of Expression & Belief
CL
-
D1Free and independent media
0/4
-
D2Freedom of religious expression
1/4
-
D3Academic freedom
1/4
-
D4Free private discussion
0/4
Associational & Organisational Rights
CL
-
E1Freedom of assembly
0/4
-
E2Freedom for NGOs
0/4
-
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
1/4
Personal Autonomy & Individual Rights
CL
-
G1Freedom of movement
1/4
-
G2Property rights
1/4
-
G3Personal social freedoms
2/4
-
G4Equality of opportunity
2/4
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 Nicaragua see its biggest RSF press-freedom change?
The sharpest single-year shift was an deterioration of 22.93 points between 2021 (60.02) and 2022 (37.09) on the RSF index.
Has Nicaragua changed Freedom House classification in the last 12 years?
Yes — Freedom House reclassified Nicaragua from Partly Free to Not Free in 2019, and the classification has held since.
Which Freedom House indicator moved most in Nicaragua?
Indicator D2 (Religious expression) changed by -3 points, moving from 4/4 to 1/4 across the available history — the biggest indicator-level movement of the 25 Freedom House sub-scores for Nicaragua.
How does Nicaragua rank within its Freedom House region?
Nicaragua holds position #33 of 35 in the Americas region on the latest Freedom House aggregate score. The region's top country is Canada (97/100).
What is Nicaragua's economic context for its press freedom score?
Nicaragua has a GDP of $12.52B across a population of 6.5 million, giving a per-capita GDP of about $1,913. Its capital is Managua; the official language is Spanish.