Global press freedom has plummeted to its lowest level in 25 years, driven largely by the increasing criminalization of journalism, according to the 2026 report released today by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). The organization noted that the average score across the 180 countries analyzed has never been lower in the last quarter-century.
Portugal slipped two spots in the ranking, falling from 8th to 10th place. Despite the drop, it maintains a “satisfactory” rating with a score of 83.71 out of 100. Norway remains at the pinnacle of the list as the only nation to achieve an “excellent” rating, followed closely by the Netherlands, Estonia, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland.
The report paints a grim picture of the global landscape: less than 1% of the world’s population currently lives in a country with a “good” press freedom situation—a staggering decline from 20% in 2002. Conversely, over 52% of the countries analyzed are now classified as being in a “difficult” or “very difficult” position.
The bottom of the index is occupied by Eritrea, North Korea, China, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. Russia also remains among the most restrictive regimes, frequently utilizing anti-terrorism and extremism laws to stifle independent reporting.
Read more about this topic: Macao Daily News criticizes Government for ending crime-related press conferences
Geographically, the Sahel region saw significant deterioration, exemplified by Niger’s 37-place drop to 120th due to threats from armed groups and ruling military juntas. In Latin America, the situation worsened in many nations. Ecuador fell 31 places to 125th following the assassinations of two journalists amid a surge in organized crime.
Argentina and El Salvador also saw marked declines, with RSF citing the hostile rhetoric and pressures exerted by leaders Javier Milei and Nayib Bukele, respectively.
However, there were a few outliers in the downward trend. Syria rose from 177th to 144th following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime. In South America, Brazil showed improvement, climbing from 63rd in 2025 to 52nd this year, while Colombia advanced 13 positions to reach 102nd place.
