United Arab Emirates scores 43.0/100 on the 2023 RSF World Press Freedom Index, ranking #145 globally. Freedom House rates it Not Free (18/100). Context: pop 9.8 million, GDP $421.14B.
2023 Press Freedom Scorecard
Overall score and global position
In the 2023 World Press Freedom Index, United Arab Emirates scores 42.99 out of 100 and ranks #145 globally — a difficult press environment. Of the 25 Freedom House indicators, United Arab Emirates earns 0 at the maximum 4/4 and 9 at 0/4; its strongest category is Freedom of Expression (4/16) and its weakest is Electoral Process (1/12).
43.0 / 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, United Arab Emirates moved from 56.37 to 42.99 on the RSF scale (a decline of 13.38 points). The lowest recorded score was 42.99 and the highest was 57.31.
Year-over-year RSF movement
United Arab Emirates's biggest single-year RSF movement in the 2019–2023 window was a loss of 12.41 points between 2021 (56.87) and 2022 (44.46).
| Years | From | To | Δ score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 → 2020 | 56.37 | 57.31 | ▲ 0.94 |
| 2020 → 2021 | 57.31 | 56.87 | ▼ -0.44 |
| 2021 → 2022 | 56.87 | 44.46 | ▼ -12.41 |
| 2022 → 2023 | 44.46 | 42.99 | ▼ -1.47 |
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 United Arab Emirates as Not Free with a 2024 aggregate score of 18/100 — basic political rights and civil liberties are widely denied.
Within Freedom House's Middle East region (15 countries), United Arab Emirates ranks #9 on the latest aggregate score — the 43rd percentile. The region leaders are Israel, Lebanon, Kuwait.
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 United Arab Emirates from Not Free (Not Free, 22/100) to Not Free (Not Free, 18/100).
Indicator trajectory (A–G over 12 years)
Of the 25 Freedom House indicators tracked for United Arab Emirates, 3 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 | 1/4 (2013) | 0/4 (2024) | ▼ -1 |
| D2 | Religious expression | 1/4 (2013) | 2/4 (2024) | ▲ +1 |
| F2 | Due process | 2/4 (2013) | 1/4 (2024) | ▼ -1 |
Latest A–G indicator scorecard
Electoral Process
PR
-
A1Free and fair head-of-government elections
0/4
-
A2Free and fair legislative elections
1/4
-
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
1/4
-
B4Political rights of minorities
1/4
Functioning of Government
PR
-
C1Elected officials determine government policy
0/4
-
C2Safeguards against corruption
2/4
-
C3Transparency of government
0/4
Freedom of Expression & Belief
CL
-
D1Free and independent media
0/4
-
D2Freedom of religious expression
2/4
-
D3Academic freedom
1/4
-
D4Free private discussion
1/4
Associational & Organisational Rights
CL
-
E1Freedom of assembly
1/4
-
E2Freedom for NGOs
0/4
-
E3Free trade unions
1/4
Rule of Law
CL
-
F1Independent judiciary
0/4
-
F2Due process in civil and criminal matters
1/4
-
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
1/4
-
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 United Arab Emirates see its biggest RSF press-freedom change?
The sharpest single-year shift was an deterioration of 12.41 points between 2021 (56.87) and 2022 (44.46) on the RSF index.
Which Freedom House indicator moved most in United Arab Emirates?
Indicator D1 (Free media) 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 United Arab Emirates.
How does United Arab Emirates rank within its Freedom House region?
United Arab Emirates holds position #9 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 United Arab Emirates's economic context for its press freedom score?
United Arab Emirates has a GDP of $421.14B across a population of 9.8 million, giving a per-capita GDP of about $43,103. Its capital is Abu Dhabi; the official language is Arabic.