The report presents a deeply concerning global outlook, noting that more than half of the assessed countries fall into the “difficult” or “very serious” categories for press freedom. It highlights that the average score across all 180 countries has reached its lowest point in the index’s 25-year history. India’s decline follows a brief improvement in 2025, when it rose from 159th place in 2024.
Despite the drop, several countries including Venezuela, Sudan, Iraq, Turkey, Afghanistan, Iran, China, and North Korea continue to rank below India. Meanwhile, nations such as Pakistan, Palestine, Bhutan, and Syria have improved their standings this year, surpassing or narrowing the gap with India.
The index evaluates five critical indicators—economic, legal, political, social, and security conditions—that collectively determine press freedom levels. Among these, the legal indicator has seen the sharpest deterioration globally. The report identifies the criminalisation of journalism through misuse of emergency provisions and legal frameworks as an expanding international trend.
In the Indian context, the report underscores the increasing use of national security laws, which has contributed to a more restrictive environment for journalists. It states that journalists are facing direct targeting on the ground along with judicial harassment, raising concerns over the shrinking space for independent reporting.
The United States also witnessed a notable decline, falling seven places to rank 64 in 2026. Since 2022, the country has dropped by 14 points in the index. The report attributes this trend to economic pressures on media institutions, declining public trust, and increasing political interference. It specifically refers to actions under President Donald Trump, including funding cuts to public broadcasters such as NPR and PBS, and describes these moves as a systematic use of state institutions against the media. It further notes that journalists have faced targeting during protests since Trump’s return to office, calling it one of the most severe crises for press freedom in modern United States history.
At the top of the rankings, Norway retained its position as the world’s most press-free nation for the tenth consecutive year. It is followed by the Netherlands, Estonia, Denmark, and Sweden, with Sweden and the Netherlands maintaining consistent top-five positions over the past two years. At the bottom, Eritrea remains the lowest-ranked country for the third consecutive year.
Syria recorded the most significant improvement, climbing 36 places following its political transition after the Assad era. However, regions affected by prolonged conflict continue to see severe press freedom challenges. Countries such as Iraq, Sudan, and Yemen remain impacted by ongoing instability. In Palestine, amid continued Israeli military operations since October 2023, more than 220 journalists have been killed in Gaza, with nearly 70 losing their lives while performing their professional duties.
The report identifies Eastern Europe and West Asia as the most dangerous regions for journalists. In Iran, internal repression combined with external conflict involving the United States and Israel has further constrained press freedom. Russia, ranked 172, continues to present a hostile environment for journalists amid its ongoing war in Ukraine. In China, North Korea, and Eritrea, strict state control and authoritarian governance are cited as primary factors limiting independent journalism.
The findings underscore a sustained global decline in press freedom over the past quarter century. The report concludes that journalism is increasingly being suffocated by hostile political rhetoric, weakened by economic instability in the media sector, and constrained by laws that are being used as instruments against the press. It warns that the erosion of journalistic freedom represents a deepening global crisis with far-reaching implications for democratic institutions and public accountability.
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