Press freedom worldwide has reached its lowest point in a quarter of a century, with more than half of the world's countries now falling into the most restrictive categories, according to the annual World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the Paris-based press freedom NGO. For the first time since RSF began producing the index in 2002, over half of the 180 countries assessed are rated either "difficult" or "very serious" — compared with just 13.7 percent in that category when the index launched. The share of the global population living in a country with "good" press freedom has collapsed, from 20 percent to less than one percent.

Only seven countries, all in northern Europe, earn a "good" rating. Norway tops the list, followed by the Netherlands, which rose one place to second, and Estonia. RSF notes that while the Netherlands benefits from a diverse media landscape generally protected by the state, journalists there face increasing physical and verbal attacks linked to polarisation over issues such as migration and agriculture, and there are concerns about intelligence services' powers to access journalistic communications. At the other end of the scale, Eritrea ranks last at 180th, with Russia (172nd), Iran (177th), China and Saudi Arabia clustered near the bottom. Saudi Arabia dropped a further 14 places after the state execution of columnist Turki al-Jasser — described by RSF as a unique occurrence globally. The sharpest single-year fall belongs to Niger (120th, down 37 places), reflecting the broader deterioration of press freedom across the Sahel amid armed group activity and military juntas.

The United States dropped seven places to 64th — ranked between Botswana and Panama — following what RSF describes as President Donald Trump's transformation of repeated attacks on the press into "systematic policy". The organisation cites the detention and deportation of Salvadoran journalist Mario Guevara, who was covering immigration raids, as well as sweeping cuts to US international broadcasting. Argentina under President Javier Milei fell 11 places to 98th, while El Salvador has plunged 105 positions since 2014, a decline RSF links to the government's war against Mara criminal gangs and its effects on media freedom. One notable exception to the downward trend is Syria (141st), which rose 36 places — the largest single gain of any country — following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime.

RSF identifies the criminalisation of journalism as a defining global trend, noting that more than 60 percent of countries have deployed criminal law against media workers. India (157th), Egypt (169th), Georgia (135th), Turkey (163rd) and Hong Kong (140th) are highlighted as prominent examples. In conflict zones, the situation is particularly acute: RSF states that more than 220 journalists have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, including at least 70 killed while actively carrying out their work.

RSF Editorial Director Anne Bocande identified "authoritarian states, complicit or incompetent political powers, predatory economic actors and under-regulated online platforms" as the main drivers of decline. She called on democratic governments and citizens to take concrete action, arguing that current legal protections are insufficient and that impunity is widespread. "Inaction is a form of endorsement," she said, adding that "the spread of authoritarianism isn't inevitable." The report's findings underscore a structural shift in how states and powerful actors relate to independent journalism — one that the index's 25-year record suggests is accelerating rather than stabilising.