The Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has released its 2026 World Press Freedom Index, highlighting a continued global decline in media freedom, with Afghanistan ranking 175th out of 180 countries, reflecting sustained restrictions since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021.
According to RSF, Afghanistan’s position remains unchanged from the previous year but represents a sharp fall of 53 places over the past five years. The country stood at 122nd in 2021 prior to the طالبان takeover, before dropping significantly amid increasing controls on media, legal restrictions, and limitations on independent oversight.
RSF stated that authorities in Afghanistan have enforced a wide range of measures aimed at controlling the country’s image, restricting journalistic activity, and limiting scrutiny of governance, contributing to a severely constrained media environment.
The 2026 index marks a historic turning point, with more than half of all countries now classified as having a “difficult” or “very serious” press freedom situation. Over the past 25 years, the global average score has steadily declined, reflecting worsening conditions for journalists worldwide.
RSF attributed much of this deterioration to the expansion of restrictive legal frameworks, particularly those linked to national security. Since the September 11 attacks, such laws have increasingly been used to limit access to information even in democratic states.
The index evaluates five key indicators: political, legal, economic, socio-cultural, and security conditions. This year, the legal indicator recorded the sharpest decline, underscoring a growing global trend toward the criminalisation of journalism.
Press freedom conditions worsened in 60% of countries between 2025 and 2026, including India, Egypt, Israel, and Georgia. RSF noted that governments are increasingly using emergency powers and legal tools to suppress independent reporting.
Norway retained the top position for the 10th consecutive year, while Eritrea remained at the bottom of the index for the 13th straight year.
Syria recorded the most significant improvement, rising 36 places following the fall of the government of Bashar al-Assad. Meanwhile, the United States saw a decline in its ranking, alongside notable drops in countries such as Ecuador and Peru.
RSF also highlighted a long-term decline in global press freedom, noting that more than 52% of countries now fall into the most restrictive categories, compared with just 13.7% in 2002. The proportion of the global population living in countries with “good” press freedom has dropped dramatically to less than 1%.
Armed conflicts remain a major driver of declining press freedom. RSF pointed to countries such as Iraq, Sudan, and Yemen as key examples where instability has severely impacted media operations. The ongoing conflict in Gaza since October 2023 has also made it one of the most dangerous places for journalists, with RSF reporting significant casualties among media professionals. In highly restrictive environments such as China, North Korea, and Eritrea, press freedom continues to be constrained by systemic repression, including long-term imprisonment of journalists.
In Eastern Europe and the Middle East, press freedom has seen some of the steepest declines over the past two decades. RSF noted that Russia under Vladimir Putin remains among the most restrictive environments for media, while Iran ranks near the bottom due to internal repression and ongoing geopolitical tensions.
In Asia-Pacific, 21 out of 32 countries fall into the “difficult” or “very serious” categories. Legal harassment, censorship, and defamation laws continue to be used to limit press activity.
Even in democratic countries, restrictive practices are increasing. In Japan, state secrecy laws contribute to self-censorship, while in Philippines, terrorism-related charges have been used against journalists. In Hong Kong, national security laws have led to the imprisonment of independent publishers.
RSF reported a decline across the Americas since 2022, citing increased political pressure and rhetoric against the press. It specifically referenced statements and policies associated with Donald Trump as contributing to the United States’ fall to 64th position.
Cuts to international media support structures have also had global repercussions, affecting outlets such as Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and Radio Free Asia.
In Latin America, countries such as Ecuador and Peru saw sharp declines linked to violence against journalists, while Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua continue to face systemic challenges.
RSF concluded that press freedom worldwide is under sustained pressure from a combination of political hostility, legal constraints, economic challenges, and security threats. The organisation called for renewed global commitment to safeguarding independent journalism as a cornerstone of transparency, accountability, and democratic governance.
