April 30, 2026
Press Freedom at its Lowest Point in 25 Years
The 2026 RSF World Press Freedom Index paints a sobering picture of journalism under threat across the globe.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) 2026 World Press Freedom Index, released today, paints a sobering picture of journalism under threat across the globe. For the first time in the Index’s 25-year history, more than half of the world’s countries now fall into the “difficult” or “very serious” categories for press freedom. The overall average score across all 180 countries and territories assessed has never been lower.
To put that in context: back in 2002, only 13.7% of countries fell into those bottom two categories. Today it is 52.2%. And while 20% of the global population once lived in a country rated “good” for press freedom, that figure has now collapsed to less than 1%.
Legal Indicator Plummets due to misuse of national security laws
Of the five indicators RSF uses to assess press freedom covering political, legal, economic, social and security environments, it is the legal indicator that has seen the steepest decline this year, deteriorating in over 60% of states.
The driving force behind this is the growing misuse of national security legislation to silence journalists. In the two and a half decades since 9/11, expanding the scope of state secrets has become a means for governments seeking to shut down reporting on matters of public interest. This tactic, once confined to authoritarian states, is gaining traction in democracies too.
Russia holds 48 journalists behind bars as of April 2026, deploying anti-terrorism and extremism laws to restrict press freedom. Hong Kong’s Jimmy Lai was recently sentenced to 20 years in prison under national security legislation – the heaviest sentence ever handed to a journalist in the territory. In the Philippines, journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio was convicted on terrorism charges despite, as an RSF investigation revealed, no tangible evidence against her.
Beyond national security laws, SLAPPs (strategic litigation against public participation designed to intimidate and silence journalists through costly legal action) are also on the rise, from Bulgaria to Guatemala and even France.
The United States falls seven places to 64th
The Americas have seen significant deterioration, with the region dropping 14 points since 2022, a decline comparable to that seen in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, considered the world’s most dangerous regions for journalists.
The United States has fallen seven places to 64th, as President Trump has turned his hostility towards the press into what RSF describes as systematic policy. The detention and deportation of Salvadoran journalist Mario Guevara, combined with sweeping cuts to the US Agency for Global Media, have had ripple effects far beyond American borders, leading to the effective closure or scaling back of international broadcasters outlets such as Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Radio Free Asia.
In Latin America, the picture is similarly grim. Ecuador has dropped 31 places following the murders of two journalists in 2025. Peru fell 14 places after four journalists were killed the same year. El Salvador and Argentina have also recorded significant declines, with both governments adopting approaches to the media that mirror Trump’s White House playbook.
War, Repression and a Few Rays of Light
Conflict continues to devastate press freedom in several regions. In Gaza, more than 220 journalists have been killed by the Israeli army since October 2023, including at least 70 killed while actively working. Sudan, Yemen and Iraq all feature near the bottom of the Index because of recurring armed conflict.
Elsewhere, longstanding dictatorial regimes continue to suppress journalism with little sign of change. China ranks 178th, North Korea 179th, and Eritrea finishes last for the third consecutive year – where journalist Dawit Isaak has now been imprisoned without trial for 25 years.
There are, however, a handful of reasons to be positive. Norway holds the top position for the tenth year running. And in what RSF describes as the most dramatic improvement of the entire Index, post-Assad Syria has climbed 36 places, rising from 177th to 141st following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024 after years of being one of the bottom ten countries in the Index.
A Call to Act
RSF Editorial Director Anne Bocandé is unambiguous in her assessment: “Inaction is a form of endorsement.” She points to authoritarian states, politically complicit governments, predatory economic actors and under-regulated online platforms as the primary forces driving the global decline, and argues that current protections are simply not fit for purpose.
The message to democracies is direct. Ending the criminalisation of journalism, curbing the abuse of national security laws, reining in SLAPPs and strengthening international protections for journalists are all urgent necessities.
“The ball is in the court of democracies and their citizens. It is up to them to stand in the way of those who seek to silence the press. The spread of authoritarianism isn’t inevitable,” Bocandé says.
The 2026 RSF World Press Freedom Index assesses 180 countries and territories across five indicators: political, legal, economic, sociocultural and security environments for journalism. You can view the index and read the full story here.