Reporters Without Borders (RSF) revealed the 2026 World Press Freedom Index, showing media freedom at its lowest point in 25 years. More than half of countries worldwide are classified as "difficult" or "critical," while political factors and state power increasingly pressure the media. Saudi Arabia, China, and Iran rank at the bottom, the United States is 64th, and Thailand is 92nd out of 180 countries.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) released the 2026 World Press Freedom Index report, stating that global media freedom has deteriorated to an unprecedented low not seen in 25 years. More than half the countries worldwide fall into the categories of "difficult" to "critical".
The report states that the proportion of the global population living in countries with "good" media freedom has plummeted from 20% to less than 1%.
One notable issue is the sharp decline of El Salvador (ranked 143), which dropped 105 places since 2014, and Niger (ranked 120), which fell 37 places in a single year due to military government crackdowns. Saudi Arabia (ranked 176) remains at the bottom alongside countries like Russia, Iran, and China, following the shocking execution of columnist Turki al-Jasser in 2025.
In the Asia-Pacific region, most countries are classified as "difficult" or "critical," with China (ranked 178) being the worst example, holding 121 imprisoned media professionals. In the Philippines (ranked 114), the government labels journalists as terrorists to silence the press.
Thailand fell from 85th place in 2025 to 92nd. In ASEAN, Timor-Leste ranks highest at 30, while other countries rank poorly: Malaysia (95), Singapore (123), Indonesia (129), Cambodia (151), Laos (154), Myanmar (166), and Vietnam (174).
The Middle East and North Africa are regarded as the most disastrous regions, especially Gaza, where over 220 Palestinian journalists have died in the war. However, Syria (ranked 141) offers a glimmer of hope, rising 36 places following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's dictatorship.
Media freedom in the United States (ranked 64) dropped seven places due to political pressure and systematic attacks on the press. In Argentina and El Salvador, journalists face criminal prosecutions and violence.
In Europe and Central Asia, while European Union countries still hold top rankings, negative signs appear, such as Estonia dropping to 3rd place amid political pressure. Eastern European countries like Belarus and Russia remain at the lowest global levels.
Christophe Deloire, RSF's director, points out that authoritarian leaders and governments in many countries use "laws" as tools to censor and spread propaganda, including imprisoning journalists without due process, as seen in Eritrea (ranked 180), which remains last globally with the longest ongoing journalist detentions.
The report’s conclusion reflects that democracies worldwide face major challenges as freedom to report the truth is suppressed by state power and violence, directly impacting the public's right to access information globally.