Global press freedom at lowest level in 25 years, Reporters Without Borders report shows

Published on 30/04/2026 - 12:03 GMT+2

Press state has fallen to its lowest level successful a 4th of a century, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) warned connected Thursday.

"For the archetypal clip successful the Index’s 25-year history, much than fractional the world’s countries present autumn into the 'difficult' oregon 'very serious' categories for property freedom," RSF said successful a statement.

"The mean people for each countries and territories worldwide has ne'er been truthful low," it said.

The Index shows that property state is successful diminution successful 100 of the 180 countries and territories it evaluates.

Moreover, it determines that the authorities of property state is categorised arsenic "difficult" oregon "very serious" successful much than fractional of the satellite (52.2%), compared to conscionable 13.7% successful 2002, erstwhile RSF archetypal began publishing its Index.

At the aforesaid time, the stock of the world's colonisation surviving successful a state wherever the property state concern is considered "good" has plunged from 20% to little than 1%.

Only 7 countries successful bluish Europe led by Norway autumn into this category.

'Systematic' attacks connected the press

RSF states that portion EU subordinate states "retain their starring positions" successful the Index, partially acknowledgment to the caller European Media Freedom Act, which came into unit successful August 2025.

However, it besides notes that galore EU countries are successful breach of the act, for illustration Germany, whose nationalist information laws "do not conscionable the act’s strict requirements regarding the extortion of journalists and their sources."

In eastbound Europe, Ukraine stands retired among its neighbours, with its presumption improving 7 places to 55th contempt wartime conditions amid Russia's full-scale invasion.

RSF's scale has pushed the US down 7 places to 64th globally, owed to US President Donald Trump's "systematic policy" of "repeated attacks connected the property and journalists," study said.

Beyond Trump's attacks connected the press, the concern successful the US has besides been marked by evident targeting of journalists and drastic cuts to backing for US planetary broadcasting, the study said.

Meanwhile, the 172nd-ranked Russia was deemed "a specializer successful utilizing laws designed to combat terrorism, separatism and extremism to restrict property freedom," RSF warned.

A full of 48 journalists were down bars successful Russia arsenic of April, the study said.

RSF categorised the Middle East and North Africa arsenic the portion wherever the authorities of journalism is "the astir catastrophic", citing 220 Palestinian journalists killed during the Israel-Hamas warfare successful Gaza, including astatine slightest 70 "slain owed to their work". 18 retired of 19 countries successful the portion are classified arsenic “very serious” oregon “difficult”.

RSF praised the affirmative momentum successful Syria, noting its ranking roseate from 177th successful 2025 to 141st. While the concern remained "very serious," the state showed a historical betterment of 36 places aft the autumn of Bashar al-Assad's regime.

The steepest diminution successful 2026 was successful junta-led Niger which fell 37 places to 120th, illustrating a wider diminution successful property state successful the Sahel portion seen successful caller years, arsenic attacks by equipped groups and ruling juntas person suppressed the close to escaped press.