Singapore scores 47.9/100 on the 2023 RSF World Press Freedom Index, ranking #129 globally. Freedom House rates it Partly Free (48/100). Context: pop 5.7 million, GDP $372.06B.
2023 Press Freedom Scorecard
Overall score and global position
In the 2023 World Press Freedom Index, Singapore scores 47.88 out of 100 and ranks #129 globally — a difficult press environment. Of the 25 Freedom House indicators, Singapore earns 0 at the maximum 4/4 and 0 at 0/4; its strongest category is Personal Autonomy (12/16) and its weakest is Associational Rights (3/12).
47.9 / 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, Singapore moved from 48.59 to 47.88 on the RSF scale (a decline of 0.71 points). The lowest recorded score was 44.23 and the highest was 48.59.
Year-over-year RSF movement
Singapore's biggest single-year RSF movement in the 2019–2023 window was a loss of 3.82 points between 2019 (48.59) and 2020 (44.77).
| Years | From | To | Δ score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 → 2020 | 48.59 | 44.77 | ▼ -3.82 |
| 2020 → 2021 | 44.77 | 44.80 | ▲ 0.03 |
| 2021 → 2022 | 44.80 | 44.23 | ▼ -0.57 |
| 2022 → 2023 | 44.23 | 47.88 | ▲ 3.65 |
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 Singapore as Partly Free with a 2024 aggregate score of 48/100 — political rights and civil liberties are respected in part but undercut by specific institutional or legal weaknesses.
Within Freedom House's Asia region (43 countries), Singapore ranks #27 on the latest aggregate score — the 38th percentile. The region leaders are New Zealand, Japan, Australia.
Political Rights vs Civil Liberties
Rating 4 of 7 (1 = best)
Rating 4 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 Singapore from Partly Free (Partly Free, 52/100) to Partly Free (Partly Free, 48/100).
Indicator trajectory (A–G over 12 years)
Of the 25 Freedom House indicators tracked for Singapore, 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D1 | Free media | 2/4 (2013) | 1/4 (2024) | ▼ -1 |
| D3 | Academic freedom | 2/4 (2013) | 1/4 (2024) | ▼ -1 |
| D4 | Private discussion | 3/4 (2013) | 2/4 (2024) | ▼ -1 |
| E1 | Freedom of assembly | 2/4 (2013) | 1/4 (2024) | ▼ -1 |
| G1 | Freedom of movement | 3/4 (2013) | 3/4 (2024) | • 0 |
Latest A–G indicator scorecard
Electoral Process
PR
-
A1Free and fair head-of-government elections
1/4
-
A2Free and fair legislative elections
2/4
-
A3Electoral laws and framework
1/4
Political Pluralism & Participation
PR
-
B1Right to organise in political parties
2/4
-
B2Opposition can realistically gain power
2/4
-
B3Free political choice without domination
2/4
-
B4Political rights of minorities
2/4
Functioning of Government
PR
-
C1Elected officials determine government policy
2/4
-
C2Safeguards against corruption
3/4
-
C3Transparency of government
2/4
Freedom of Expression & Belief
CL
-
D1Free and independent media
1/4
-
D2Freedom of religious expression
3/4
-
D3Academic freedom
1/4
-
D4Free private discussion
2/4
Associational & Organisational Rights
CL
-
E1Freedom of assembly
1/4
-
E2Freedom for NGOs
1/4
-
E3Free trade unions
1/4
Rule of Law
CL
-
F1Independent judiciary
1/4
-
F2Due process in civil and criminal matters
2/4
-
F3Protection from illegitimate force
2/4
-
F4Equal treatment under the law
2/4
Personal Autonomy & Individual Rights
CL
-
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
When did Singapore see its biggest RSF press-freedom change?
The sharpest single-year shift was an deterioration of 3.82 points between 2019 (48.59) and 2020 (44.77) on the RSF index.
Which Freedom House indicator moved most in Singapore?
Indicator D1 (Free media) changed by -1 points, moving from 2/4 to 1/4 across the available history — the biggest indicator-level movement of the 25 Freedom House sub-scores for Singapore.
How does Singapore rank within its Freedom House region?
Singapore holds position #27 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 Singapore's economic context for its press freedom score?
Singapore has a GDP of $372.06B across a population of 5.7 million, giving a per-capita GDP of about $65,233. Its capital is not available; the official language is Malay.