Solomon Islands is not rated by the RSF index; Freedom House classifies it as Free with a total score of 75/100. Context: pop 670K, GDP $1.43B.
2023 Press Freedom Scorecard
Overall score and global position
Solomon Islands is not currently rated by Reporters Without Borders. The closest available press-freedom indicator is the V-Dem Freedom of Expression index, which scores Solomon Islands at 0.84 out of 1.0 for 2025 — a comparative signal drawn from the Varieties of Democracy academic dataset. Of the 25 Freedom House indicators, Solomon Islands earns 6 at the maximum 4/4 and 0 at 0/4; its strongest category is Freedom of Expression (14/16) and its weakest is Government Functioning (7/12).
Composite index comparison
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).
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 Solomon Islands as Free with a 2024 aggregate score of 75/100 — meaning national institutions reliably protect political rights and civil liberties.
Within Freedom House's Asia region (43 countries), Solomon Islands ranks #16 on the latest aggregate score — the 64th percentile. The region leaders are New Zealand, Japan, Australia.
Political Rights vs Civil Liberties
Rating 3 of 7 (1 = best)
Rating 2 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 Solomon Islands from Partly Free (Partly Free, 65/100) to Free (Free, 75/100).
Status transitions
Freedom House records 1 status transition for Solomon Islands between 2017 and 2017 — each row below marks the year the classification flipped between Free, Partly Free, and Not Free.
| Year | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Partly Free | → | Free |
Indicator trajectory (A–G over 12 years)
Of the 25 Freedom House indicators tracked for Solomon Islands, 15 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 | 2/4 (2013) | 4/4 (2024) | ▲ +2 |
| A1 | Free and fair head-of-government elections | 2/4 (2013) | 3/4 (2024) | ▲ +1 |
| A2 | Free and fair legislative elections | 2/4 (2013) | 3/4 (2024) | ▲ +1 |
| B1 | Right to organise in political parties | 3/4 (2013) | 4/4 (2024) | ▲ +1 |
| B3 | Free political choice | 2/4 (2013) | 3/4 (2024) | ▲ +1 |
| B4 | Minority political rights | 2/4 (2013) | 3/4 (2024) | ▲ +1 |
| C1 | Elected officials govern | 2/4 (2013) | 3/4 (2024) | ▲ +1 |
| C2 | Anti-corruption safeguards | 2/4 (2013) | 3/4 (2024) | ▲ +1 |
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
4/4
-
B2Opposition can realistically gain power
3/4
-
B3Free political choice without domination
3/4
-
B4Political rights of minorities
3/4
Functioning of Government
PR
-
C1Elected officials determine government policy
3/4
-
C2Safeguards against corruption
3/4
-
C3Transparency of government
1/4
Freedom of Expression & Belief
CL
-
D1Free and independent media
2/4
-
D2Freedom of religious expression
4/4
-
D3Academic freedom
4/4
-
D4Free private discussion
4/4
Associational & Organisational Rights
CL
-
E1Freedom of assembly
3/4
-
E2Freedom for NGOs
4/4
-
E3Free trade unions
3/4
Rule of Law
CL
-
F1Independent judiciary
4/4
-
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
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
Has Solomon Islands changed Freedom House classification in the last 12 years?
Yes — Freedom House reclassified Solomon Islands from Partly Free to Free in 2017, and the classification has held since.
Which Freedom House indicator moved most in Solomon Islands?
Indicator F1 (Independent judiciary) 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 Solomon Islands.
How does Solomon Islands rank within its Freedom House region?
Solomon Islands holds position #16 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 Solomon Islands's economic context for its press freedom score?
Solomon Islands has a GDP of $1.43B across a population of 670K, giving a per-capita GDP of about $2,128. Its capital is Honiara; the official language is English.