Reporters Without Borders (RSF) warned on Thursday that global press freedom has fallen to its lowest level in a quarter of a century, despite Burundi occupying the 119th position out of 180 countries in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index. The assessment indicated a significant decline, with less than 1% of the world's population now living in a country where press freedom is considered "good," a stark contrast to approximately 20% in the early 2000s. This alarming trend shows a widespread erosion of journalistic freedoms across the globe.
Norway has maintained its top global ranking for the tenth consecutive year in the index, a consistent beacon of press freedom. The Netherlands and Estonia complete the top three in the 2026 ranking, demonstrating strong commitments to media independence. Conversely, Eritrea is ranked last for the third consecutive year, reflecting persistent challenges to journalistic independence and safety in that nation, with journalist Dawit Isaak jailed without trial for 25 years. The overall trend notes a deteriorating environment for journalists worldwide, according to the organization's findings, which are based on criteria including journalist safety, political context, legal framework, economic independence, and the social environment in which the press operates.
Global Press Freedom Crisis Deepens
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) reports that more than half of the countries it evaluated face a "difficult" or "very serious" situation for media freedom. For the first time in the RSF Index's 25-year history, 52.2% of the world's countries now fall into these 'difficult' or 'very serious' categories. The average score for all countries and territories worldwide has reached an unprecedented low, signaling a global crisis for independent journalism.
In 2002, 20% of the global population lived in a country where the state of press freedom was categorized as “good.” Twenty-five years later, less than 1% of the world’s population lives in a country falling under this category. Only seven countries in Northern Europe, led by Norway, are now classified in the 'good' category for press freedom. This category represented a small minority (13.7%) in 2002, illustrating the dramatic contraction of spaces where journalists can operate freely and safely.
Reports indicate that since 2001, the expansion of increasingly restrictive legal arsenals, particularly those linked to national security policies, has steadily eroded the right to information, even within democratic countries. Eastern Europe and the Middle East continue to be the two most dangerous regions for journalists globally, a trend observed for the past 25 years, where risks to media professionals remain exceptionally high.
In the rankings, Syria climbed 36 places to 141st position, marking the biggest improvement in press freedom in the 2026 Index. This positive shift followed the ouster of Bashar al-Assad in late 2024. Benjamin Netanyahu’s government in Israel, which fell four places in the Index this year, continues its offensive in Palestine (156th). Since October 2023, more than 220 journalists have been killed in Gaza by the Israeli army, including at least 70 who were slain while carrying out their work. Russia (172nd) remains among the worst countries for press freedom, having continued its war of aggression in Ukraine. Iran (177th), dropping one place, also remains near the bottom of the ranking. Dictatorial regimes in China (178th), North Korea (179th), and Eritrea (180th) keep press freedom in a deadlock, further illustrating the severe challenges faced by journalists globally.
Country-Specific Challenges and Trends
Burundi gained six places in the 2026 ranking, moving from its 125th position globally in 2025 to 119th. In contrast, the United States dropped to 64th place in the 2026 ranking, falling seven places, with US President Donald Trump's attacks on the press contributing to this decline. Reports indicated the United States had already fallen from a "fairly good" to a "problematic" situation in 2024. The drop in the overall ranking of the 28 countries in the Americas by 14 points is similar to the decline seen in Eastern Europe–Central Asia (EEAC) and the Middle East–North Africa (MENA) regions. The recent history of press freedom in the Americas has been shaped by the rise in violence perpetrated by organised crime and political actors. The detention of Salvadoran journalist Mario Guevara, who was later deported, has contributed to the deterioration of an already tense security environment marked by police violence in the US.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) described the situation in Africa as "particularly worrying," noting that several governments use national security or cybersecurity laws to restrict media and prosecute journalists. Rwanda was ranked 139th globally, and Ethiopia 148th. Sudan, dropping five places, and South Sudan (118th), falling nine places, have also seen significant declines. The 2015 crisis in Burundi, triggered by the controversial third-term candidacy of the late President Pierre Nkurunziza, also impacted the media landscape. That crisis followed the Accord d'Arusha of August 2000, which had ended several years of civil war in Burundi and laid the groundwork for power-sharing.
Vladimir Putin's Russia was ranked 172nd in the index. As of April 2026, Russia held 48 journalists behind bars. The steepest decline in 2026 was observed in junta-led Niger, which fell 37 places to 120th. Saudi Arabia, falling 14 places, is paying the price for the authorities' repeated acts of violence against journalists in 2025. Syria, however, saw the biggest improvement in press freedom in the 2026 Index, climbing 36 places to 141st, following the ouster of Bashar al-Assad in late 2024. Hong Kong (140th), falling 122 places, has seen a precipitous decline since Beijing tightened its control on the territory. El Salvador (143rd) dropped 105 places since 2014 and the start of the war on maras, or “gangs.” Georgia (135th) has dropped 75 places as the crackdown on the press has intensified in recent years. Javier Milei’s Argentina (98th), falling 11 places, and Nayib Bukele’s El Salvador (143rd), dropping an additional 8 places, have recorded significant declines, linked to a rise in government hostility towards and pressure on the press. In countries where organised crime kills, Index rankings fall drastically; Ecuador (125th) has dropped 31 places since Darwin Baque and Patricio Aguilar were murdered in 2025. Peru (144th), falling 14 places, was impacted by the murder of four journalists in 2025. Guarantees for press freedom in Venezuela (159th) remain deeply uncertain despite the release of detained journalists earlier in the year. Cuba (160th) is undergoing a profound crisis that is forcing the few remaining independent journalists to operate underground. Nicaragua’s (168th) media landscape lies in ruins, characterised by systematic repression and a lasting collapse in working conditions for journalists.
Erosion of Legal Protections
The legal indicator within the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom Index has shown the most severe decline over the past year, signaling an increasing criminalization of journalism globally. Out of the five indicators used to assess press freedom worldwide, the legal indicator has seen the sharpest decline this year. The Index, which assesses press freedom based on criteria including journalist safety, political context, legal framework, economic independence, and the social environment, found this particular indicator deteriorated in more than 60% of states—110 out of 180—between 2025 and 2026. This trend notes a significant erosion of legal protections for the press. In more than 80% of the countries analysed, protection mechanisms for journalists are seen as non-existent or ineffective.
Countries such as India (157th), Egypt (169th), Israel (116th), and Georgia (135th) experienced a decline in their legal indicator scores. Russia (172nd) has frequently employed laws originally designed to combat terrorism, separatism, and extremism as a means to restrict press freedom, becoming a specialist in using such legislation. In Africa’s Great Lakes region, Sandra Muhoza was the sole woman journalist detained in 2026, prosecuted in Burundi (119th) on charges of “undermining the integrity of the national territory,” a common accusation in the region.
Ethiopia (148th) has held four journalists in detention for three years on terrorism-related charges. In Japan (62nd), state secrets legislation continues to undermine journalists’ work. In the Philippines (114th), terrorism charges have been used as a pretext to silence independent reporters; an RSF investigation revealed that journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio was convicted despite a lack of tangible evidence in her case. Hong Kong (140th) has utilized a draconian national security law to imprison independent publisher Jimmy Lai, who received a 20-year sentence, the longest ever imposed on a journalist in the territory. In Türkiye (163rd), anti-terrorism laws are not the only kind of legislation used to restrict press freedom. Under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, charges such as “disinformation,” “insulting the President,” and “denigrating state institutions” are regularly instrumentalised to repress journalism and imprison media professionals. Tunisia (137th) is experiencing a global trend of legal warfare, also known as “lawfare,” with its Decree-Law 54 on “false information” effectively criminalising journalism critical of the authorities. The decline in the legal indicator this year is also explained by the rise in strategic litigation against public participation — abusive lawsuits known as SLAPPs — used against journalists, whether in Bulgaria (71st) or Guatemala (128th), the country with the emblematic case of José Rubén Zamora. In Indonesia (129th), Singapore (123rd), and Thailand (92nd), political and business elites exploit a legal system that fails to sufficiently protect the press. These legal abuses also occur in relatively high-ranking countries, such as France (25th). The European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) guarantees the independence and sustainability of media outlets within the European Union, but it is regularly undermined by national legislative projects, as was the case in Hungary (74th) under Viktor Orbán’s outgoing government, and also in countries such as Slovakia (37th), Lithuania (15th), and the Czech Republic (11th). Cuts to the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) workforce globally impacted Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), and Radio Free Asia (RFA), leading to the closure, suspension, and downsizing of these international broadcasters.
Methodology and Future Outlook
The report, issued on April 30, 2026, reflects Reporters Without Borders (RSF) updated methodology, which introduces five indicators—political, legal, economic, sociocultural, and security—to pinpoint threats to press freedom. RSF updates its methodology to keep pace with the times. The methodology and thresholds for classifying press freedom situations as "good," "satisfactory," "problematic," "difficult," or "very serious" have evolved. Recurring armed conflict in Iraq (162nd), Sudan (161st), and Yemen (164th) is a primary reason for decline. Dictatorial regimes in China (178th), North Korea (179th), and Eritrea (180th) keep press freedom in a deadlock, with journalist Dawit Isaak jailed for 25 years in Eritrea. El Salvador (143rd) dropped 105 places since 2014, impacted by the war on maras. In Türkiye (163rd), anti-terrorism laws are not the only legislative restriction. The legal indicator's decline is also due to strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) in countries like Bulgaria (71st) and Guatemala (128th), exemplified by José Rubén Zamora's case. The European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) faces national legislative undermining in Hungary (74th), Slovakia (37th), Lithuania (15th), and the Czech Republic (11th). Cuts to the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) workforce had global repercussions, leading to the closure, suspension, and downsizing of international broadcasters such as Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), and Radio Free Asia (RFA). Peru (144th) was impacted by the murder of four journalists in 2025.
