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Journalism of Courage
World’s top 10 best and worst countries for press freedom in 2026: India ranks below Nepal and Pakistan
The world’s top 10 best and worst countries for press freedom in 2026: For the first time ever, more than half of the countries assessed fall into the 'difficult' or 'very serious' category.
Top 10 world’s best and worst countries for press freedom in 2026: Norway retained the number one position for the 10th consecutive year, while Eritrea remained at the bottom for the third year in a row.
Press freedom has reached its weakest point in decades across the globe, according to the latest annual report by Reporters Without Borders. The group’s World Press Freedom Index, which evaluates 180 countries, recorded its lowest average score in the index’s 25-year history.
For the first time ever, more than half of the countries assessed fall into the “difficult” or “very serious” category. Back in 2002, about one-fifth of the global population lived in countries rated as having “good” press freedom. Today, that figure has dropped sharply to less than 1 per cent.
The index measures five key areas—economic, legal, security, political, and social conditions affecting journalism. Among these, the legal environment has worsened the most this year. RSF pointed to a growing use of “restrictive legal arsenals”, especially national security laws, which governments increasingly use to limit press freedom.
The organisation noted that press freedom has been steadily declining over the past 25 years, even in democratic nations, warning that journalism is being “increasingly criminalised”.
In the Americas, the United States dropped seven spots, while countries like Ecuador and Peru saw even steeper declines. RSF described Donald Trump’s repeated attacks on journalists as a “systematic policy”, which pushed the US down to 64th place and contributed to a broader regional decline.
In Russia, Vladimir Putin was described as “a specialist in using laws designed to combat terrorism, separatism and extremism to restrict press freedom”. The report noted that 48 journalists are currently imprisoned in the country.
The United Kingdom ranked 18th, improving by two places from last year. However, concerns remain, including the 2024 stabbing of a journalist in London who worked for Iran International, highlighting ongoing safety risks for media professionals.
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At the top of the index, Norway retained the number one position for the 10th consecutive year, while Eritrea remained at the bottom for the third year in a row.
One of the biggest improvements came from Syria, which climbed 36 places following political changes after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024. It moved from 177th to 141st.
On the other hand, Niger recorded the steepest drop (-37), falling to 120th. This reflects a broader decline in press freedom across the Sahel region, where armed conflict and military regimes have limited access to balanced information. In the Middle East, Saudi Arabia dropped 14 places due to continued violence against journalists in 2025, including the execution of Turki al-Jasser.
Where does India stand?
As for India, it slipped further down the rankings. From 151st place in 2025, it now stands at 157th in 2026, with a global score of 31.96. The country remains in the “very serious” category.
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Compared to its neighbours, India ranks lower than Nepal (87th), the Maldives (108th), Sri Lanka (134th), Bhutan (150th), Bangladesh (152nd), and Pakistan (153rd). However, it still ranks above Myanmar (166th), Afghanistan (175th), and China (178th).
Top 10 Countries with the Best Press Freedom in 2026
| Rank | Countries | Global Score | Political | Economic | Legislative | Social | Security |
|
1
|
Norway
|
92.72
|
95.98
|
87.22
|
91.76
|
92.19
|
96.46
|
|
2
|
Netherlands
|
88.92
|
89.31
|
85.38
|
90.68
|
87.70
|
91.52
|
|
3
|
Estonia
|
88.54
|
90.29
|
75.33
|
89.25
|
92.33
|
95.53
|
|
4
|
Denmark
|
88.47
|
91.79
|
79.51
|
86.56
|
88.79
|
95.69
|
|
5
|
Sweden
|
87.61
|
89.61
|
81.67
|
88.82
|
84.53
|
93.41
|
|
6
|
Finland
|
86.22
|
89.16
|
78.68
|
85.62
|
83.59
|
94.05
|
|
7
|
Ireland
|
85.93
|
90.50
|
76.59
|
80.82
|
86.20
|
95.54
|
|
8
|
Switzerland
|
84.83
|
89.65
|
70.67
|
82.74
|
85.86
|
95.24
|
|
9
|
Luxembourg
|
84.14
|
86.07
|
72.44
|
81.83
|
84.08
|
96.25
|
|
10
|
Portugal
|
83.71
|
86.76
|
62.25
|
85.86
|
89.29
|
94.40
|
Top 10 Countries with the Worst Press Freedom in 2026
| Rank | Countries | Global Score | Political | Economic | Legislative | Social | Security |
|
171
|
Azerbaijan
|
23.95
|
12.75
|
18.36
|
31.83
|
28.89
|
27.90
|
|
172
|
Russia
|
23.15
|
11.76
|
30.75
|
22.18
|
27.24
|
23.80
|
|
173
|
Turkmenistan
|
23.06
|
12.55
|
15.62
|
27.12
|
8.59
|
51.42
|
|
174
|
Vietnam
|
21.15
|
11.21
|
18.75
|
19.63
|
28.40
|
27.75
|
|
175
|
Afghanistan
|
19.51
|
21.82
|
27.28
|
12.42
|
20.55
|
15.47
|
|
176
|
Saudi Arabia
|
19.11
|
12.20
|
33.00
|
13.13
|
21.39
|
15.81
|
|
177
|
Iran
|
17.45
|
15.17
|
18.40
|
16.09
|
20.41
|
17.18
|
|
178
|
China
|
13.85
|
8.86
|
21.66
|
11.03
|
15.25
|
12.43
|
|
179
|
North Korea
|
12.67
|
11.26
|
15.24
|
16.97
|
5.07
|
14.83
|
|
180
|
Eritrea
|
10.24
|
8.04
|
12.15
|
9.90
|
9.57
|
11.54
|
Source: RSF – World Press Freedom Index
Methodology: According to this outline, the press freedom questionnaire and map are divided into five categories and are a snapshot of the situation for the calendar year (January-December) preceding their publication.
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