Press freedom has reached its lowest point in 25 years, with more than half of the world’s nations classified as having “difficult” or “very serious” conditions for media rights, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
RSF’s 2026 World Press Freedom Index shows that the average press freedom score across 180 countries and territories is at its worst level since the index began 25 years ago. Fewer than 1% of the global population now lives in countries with a “good” press freedom situation, a sharp decline from 20% only a few years ago. Seven Northern European countries, led by Norway, are the exceptions categorized as “good.”
Decline in the United States and Globally
The United States, previously rated as “problematic” after President Trump’s 2024 re-election, fell seven more places to 64th in the 2026 ranking. RSF cited Trump’s “systematic” attacks on journalists, the detention and expulsion of a Salvadoran journalist who reported on migrant arrests, and significant cuts to U.S. international broadcasting funding as key concerns impacting U.S. press freedom.
Niger experienced the steepest drop this year, falling 37 places to 120th, reflecting widespread press freedom erosion in the Sahel region where armed conflicts and military juntas have severely restricted independent media.
Persistent Challenges in Authoritarian States
In some countries like China, North Korea, and Eritrea, press freedom remains unchanged at extremely low levels. Eritrea held the bottom position for the third year running. Eastern Europe and the Middle East remain the most perilous regions for journalists. Russia ranks 172nd and continues to suppress press freedom amid its war in Ukraine, employing anti-terrorism laws to target independent reporting. RSF noted Russia currently imprisons 48 journalists.
Conversely, Syria saw the largest improvement in the index, climbing 36 places since the Assad regime’s partial loosening of media controls.
Why it matters
The decline in press freedom globally undermines the public’s access to reliable information and threatens democratic accountability. RSF’s findings highlight increasing dangers for journalists worldwide and signal growing authoritarian control over news coverage during a time of geopolitical tensions and social unrest.
Background
Reporters Without Borders, founded in France in 1985, annually publishes the World Press Freedom Index to evaluate the state of media rights worldwide. The index assesses pluralism, media independence, legislative environment, and the safety of journalists.
Read more World News stories on Goka World News.
Sources
This article is based on reporting and publicly available information from the following source: