Syria scores 27.2/100 on the 2023 RSF World Press Freedom Index, ranking #175 globally. Freedom House rates it Not Free (1/100). Context: pop 17.1 million, GDP $40.41B.
2023 Press Freedom Scorecard
Overall score and global position
In the 2023 World Press Freedom Index, Syria scores 27.22 out of 100 and ranks #175 globally — one of the most restricted press environments in the world. In the Eastern Shore zone, Syria sits at position 4 of 4 Mediterranean states with RSF data. Of the 25 Freedom House indicators, Syria earns 0 at the maximum 4/4 and 22 at 0/4; its strongest category is Freedom of Expression (3/16) and its weakest is Rule of Law (0/16).
27.2 / 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, Syria moved from 28.22 to 27.22 on the RSF scale (a decline of 1.00 points). The lowest recorded score was 27.22 and the highest was 29.37.
Year-over-year RSF movement
Syria's biggest single-year RSF movement in the 2019–2023 window was a gain of 1.94 points between 2020 (27.43) and 2021 (29.37).
| Years | From | To | Δ score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 → 2020 | 28.22 | 27.43 | ▼ -0.79 |
| 2020 → 2021 | 27.43 | 29.37 | ▲ 1.94 |
| 2021 → 2022 | 29.37 | 28.94 | ▼ -0.43 |
| 2022 → 2023 | 28.94 | 27.22 | ▼ -1.72 |
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 Syria as Not Free with a 2024 aggregate score of 1/100 — basic political rights and civil liberties are widely denied.
Within Freedom House's Middle East region (15 countries), Syria ranks #15 on the latest aggregate score — the 0th 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 Syria from Not Free (Not Free, 5/100) to Not Free (Not Free, 1/100).
Indicator trajectory (A–G over 12 years)
Of the 25 Freedom House indicators tracked for Syria, 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C2 | Anti-corruption safeguards | 1/4 (2013) | 0/4 (2024) | ▼ -1 |
| D4 | Private discussion | 0/4 (2013) | 1/4 (2024) | ▲ +1 |
| G2 | Property rights | 1/4 (2013) | 0/4 (2024) | ▼ -1 |
| G3 | Personal social freedoms | 2/4 (2013) | 1/4 (2024) | ▼ -1 |
| G4 | Equality of opportunity | 1/4 (2013) | 0/4 (2024) | ▼ -1 |
| D2 | Religious expression | 2/4 (2013) | 2/4 (2024) | • 0 |
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
0/4
-
C3Transparency of government
0/4
Freedom of Expression & Belief
CL
-
D1Free and independent media
0/4
-
D2Freedom of religious expression
2/4
-
D3Academic freedom
0/4
-
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
0/4
-
F2Due process in civil and criminal matters
0/4
-
F3Protection from illegitimate force
0/4
-
F4Equal treatment under the law
0/4
Personal Autonomy & Individual Rights
CL
-
G1Freedom of movement
0/4
-
G2Property rights
0/4
-
G3Personal social freedoms
1/4
-
G4Equality of opportunity
0/4
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 Syria see its biggest RSF press-freedom change?
The sharpest single-year shift was an improvement of 1.94 points between 2020 (27.43) and 2021 (29.37) on the RSF index.
Which Freedom House indicator moved most in Syria?
Indicator C2 (Anti-corruption safeguards) changed by -1 points, moving from 1/4 to 0/4 across the available history — the biggest indicator-level movement of the 25 Freedom House sub-scores for Syria.
How does Syria rank within its Freedom House region?
Syria holds position #15 of 15 in the Middle East region on the latest Freedom House aggregate score. The region's top country is Israel (74/100).
Where does Syria sit among Eastern Shore Mediterranean peers?
Within the Eastern Shore zone, Syria ranks #4 of 4 countries with RSF data. Its peers are Israel, Lebanon, Turkey.
What is Syria's economic context for its press freedom score?
Syria has a GDP of $40.41B across a population of 17.1 million, giving a per-capita GDP of about $2,367. Its capital is Damascus; the official language is Arabic.