Saudi Arabia scores 32.4/100 on the 2023 RSF World Press Freedom Index, ranking #170 globally. Freedom House rates it Not Free (8/100). Context: pop 34.3 million, GDP $792.97B.
2023 Press Freedom Scorecard
Overall score and global position
In the 2023 World Press Freedom Index, Saudi Arabia scores 32.43 out of 100 and ranks #170 globally — one of the most restricted press environments in the world. Of the 25 Freedom House indicators, Saudi Arabia earns 0 at the maximum 4/4 and 17 at 0/4; its strongest category is Rule of Law (3/16) and its weakest is Associational Rights (0/12).
32.4 / 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, Saudi Arabia moved from 34.12 to 32.43 on the RSF scale (a decline of 1.69 points). The lowest recorded score was 32.43 and the highest was 37.86.
Year-over-year RSF movement
Saudi Arabia's biggest single-year RSF movement in the 2019–2023 window was a gain of 3.74 points between 2019 (34.12) and 2020 (37.86).
| Years | From | To | Δ score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 → 2020 | 34.12 | 37.86 | ▲ 3.74 |
| 2020 → 2021 | 37.86 | 37.27 | ▼ -0.59 |
| 2021 → 2022 | 37.27 | 33.71 | ▼ -3.56 |
| 2022 → 2023 | 33.71 | 32.43 | ▼ -1.28 |
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 Saudi Arabia as Not Free with a 2024 aggregate score of 8/100 — basic political rights and civil liberties are widely denied.
Within Freedom House's Middle East region (15 countries), Saudi Arabia ranks #13 on the latest aggregate score — the 14th percentile. The region leaders are Israel, Lebanon, Kuwait.
Political Rights vs Civil Liberties
Rating 7 of 7 (1 = best)
Rating 7 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 Saudi Arabia from Not Free (Not Free, 10/100) to Not Free (Not Free, 8/100).
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
0/4
Functioning of Government
PR
-
C1Elected officials determine government policy
0/4
-
C2Safeguards against corruption
1/4
-
C3Transparency of government
0/4
Freedom of Expression & Belief
CL
-
D1Free and independent media
0/4
-
D2Freedom of religious expression
0/4
-
D3Academic freedom
1/4
-
D4Free private discussion
1/4
Associational & Organisational Rights
CL
-
E1Freedom of assembly
0/4
-
E2Freedom for NGOs
0/4
-
E3Free trade unions
0/4
Rule of Law
CL
-
F1Independent judiciary
1/4
-
F2Due process in civil and criminal matters
1/4
-
F3Protection from illegitimate force
0/4
-
F4Equal treatment under the law
1/4
Personal Autonomy & Individual Rights
CL
-
G1Freedom of movement
0/4
-
G2Property rights
1/4
-
G3Personal social freedoms
0/4
-
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 Saudi Arabia see its biggest RSF press-freedom change?
The sharpest single-year shift was an improvement of 3.74 points between 2019 (34.12) and 2020 (37.86) on the RSF index.
How does Saudi Arabia rank within its Freedom House region?
Saudi Arabia holds position #13 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 Saudi Arabia's economic context for its press freedom score?
Saudi Arabia has a GDP of $792.97B across a population of 34.3 million, giving a per-capita GDP of about $23,140. Its capital is Riyadh; the official language is Arabic.