New Reporters Without Borders (RSF) report has revealed that press freedom is at a 25-year low,
RSF warned on Thursday, April 30, that press freedom has fallen to its lowest level in a quarter of a century with over half the world in “difficult” or “very serious” status and few “good” countries, Euro News reported.
It stated, “For the first time in the Index’s 25-year history, more than half the world’s countries now fall into the 'difficult' or 'very serious' categories for press freedom. The average score for all countries and territories worldwide has never been so low.”
The Index shows that press freedom is in decline in 100 of the 180 countries and territories it evaluates.
Moreover, it determines that the state of press freedom is categorised as "difficult" or "very serious" in more than half of the world (52.2%), compared to just 13.7% in 2002, when RSF first began publishing its Index.
At the same time, the share of the world's population living in a country where the press freedom situation is considered "good" has plunged from 20% to less than 1%.
Only seven countries in northern Europe led by Norway fall into this category.
RSF states that while EU member states "retain their leading positions" in the Index, partly thanks to the recent European Media Freedom Act, which came into force in August 2025.
In eastern Europe, Ukraine stands out among its neighbours, with its position improving seven places to 55th despite wartime conditions amid Russia's full-scale invasion.
RSF's index has pushed the US down seven places to 64th globally, due to US President Donald Trump's "systematic policy" of "repeated attacks on the press and journalists.”
The report also noted that beyond Trump's attacks on the press, the situation in the US has also been marked by apparent targeting of journalists and drastic cuts to funding for US international broadcasting
