Civil liberties rating in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Civil liberties rating was 6 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
6
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
16th
of 199 countries
All-time high
7
in 1983
All-time low
6
in 1972
Years of data
53
1972–2025
Civil liberties rating in Saudi Arabia, 1972–2025
Source: Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for civil liberties rating in Saudi Arabia is 6, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 53 years on record.
The figure is down 14.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, civil liberties rating in Saudi Arabia peaked at 7 in 1983 and was at its lowest, 6, in 1972.
Saudi Arabia ranks 16th of 199 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 53 years of available data.
Civil liberties rating in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 6 | — |
| 1973 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 7 | +16.7% |
| 1984 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 6 | -14.3% |
| 1990 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 7 | +16.7% |
| 1993 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 6 | -14.3% |
| 2006 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 7 | +16.7% |
| 2012 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 6 | -14.3% |
| 2025 | 6 | +0.0% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 6 is above the median for high income countries, which is 1, 6.0× the median. (66 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 6 is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 5, 1.2× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 |
| 1980s | 6.67 | 6 | 7 | 9 |
| 1990s | 6.8 | 6 | 7 | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.5 | 6 | 7 | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.9 | 6 | 7 | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.67 | 6 | 7 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
- 16 Bahrain 6 compare
- 16 Burundi 6 compare
- 16 Cameroon 6 compare
- 16 Chad 6 compare
- 16 China 6 compare
- 16 Congo 6 compare
- 16 Cuba 6 compare
- 16 Democratic Republic of Congo 6 compare
- 16 Egypt 6 compare
- 16 Eswatini 6 compare
- 16 Ethiopia 6 compare
- 16 Iraq 6 compare
- 16 Laos 6 compare
- 16 Libya 6 compare
- 16 Nicaragua 6 compare
- 16 Russia 6 compare
- 16 Rwanda 6 compare
- 16 Syria 6 compare
- 16 Turkey 6 compare
- 16 United Arab Emirates 6 compare
- 16 Uzbekistan 6 compare
- 16 Venezuela 6 compare
- 16 Vietnam 6 compare
- 16 Yemen 6 compare
More reference data data for Saudi Arabia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1847 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.4 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.44 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1771 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.44 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.6194 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.2207 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 6.07 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 10.64 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.9641 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is civil liberties rating in Saudi Arabia?
- Civil liberties rating in Saudi Arabia was 6 in 2025, according to Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest civil liberties rating recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 7 in 1983.
- What is the lowest civil liberties rating recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 6 in 1972.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for civil liberties rating?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 16th out of 199 countries with data for 2025.
- Is civil liberties rating rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia data come from?
- The figures come from Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Civil liberties rating. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 53 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Identifies the extent of freedom of expression and association, the rule of law, and personal autonomy. Lower ratings indicate more liberties.