The 2025 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters With out Borders (RSF) discovered that greater than half of the world’s inhabitants lives in a rustic the place press freedom is in a “very severe” scenario — that is 4.25 billion individuals in 42 international locations now marked brilliant pink on the Index’s map. RSF has launched a map of the Index the place international locations seem in proportion to their inhabitants to indicate the dimensions of assaults on the best to dependable data worldwide.
Uncover the 2025 World Press Freedom Index That is appalling. Greater than half of the world’s residents dwell in extraordinarily harmful locations for press freedom, locations the place working as a journalist means risking your life or your liberty, whereas fewer than 8% dwell in locations the place the scenario is assessed as “good” or “passable.”
In response to the 2024 World Press Freedom Index map, this 50% of the world’s inhabitants dwell in 36 international locations (it was 31 international locations in 2023) which can be among the many most populous on this planet. 5 of the world’s ten most populous international locations are colored pink on RSF’s new press freedom map. They’re India (ranked 159th out of 180 international locations within the Index), China (172nd), Pakistan (152nd), Bangladesh (one hundred and sixty fifth) and Russia (162nd).
Other than India, which is at the moment holding elections, all of those international locations held elections in 2023 or the primary few months of 2024 by which the press freedom violations simply bolstered their rating within the backside sixth of the Index.
The variety of international locations in brilliant pink on the RSF World Press Freedom Index map has doubled in 5 years, from 21 to 42. The dire scenario is simply as apparent on the different finish of the spectrum: lower than 0.8 per cent of the world’s inhabitants lives in a rustic the place press freedom is absolutely assured, and fewer than 8 per cent dwell in a rustic the place it may be thought of “passable.” This obtrusive imbalance illustrates the dimensions of the worldwide disaster affecting everybody’s proper to dependable data.
“The outcomes of the 2025 Reporters With out Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom Index reveal a stark actuality: greater than half of humanity lives in a rustic the place the state of press freedom is taken into account ‘very severe.’ RSF calls on governments to face up and defend the best to dependable data — it’s irresponsible to let the scenario deteriorate 12 months after 12 months. Options exist to enhance the Index’s financial indicator, which is dragging down the general press freedom rating. It is time to take motion and repaint the press freedom map from brilliant pink to brilliant inexperienced.”
White Mares
Information journalist, chargeable for the Press Freedom Index
Fashions and good practicesInformation A New Deal for Journalism: RSF requires the reconstruction of the information media business 02.05.2025 6 international locations stand out for his or her excessive ranges of hazard Among the many 20 international locations with the worst security scores for journalists, a number of notably worrying conditions stand out:
Palestine (157th, down 1 place) is among the most harmful locations for journalists. With nearly 200 journalists killed in Gaza by the Israeli military since October 2023, together with no less than 44 slain whereas working, the territory has seen the very best variety of journalists killed within the final two years; China (178th) and Myanmar (169th) prime the listing of nations with probably the most detained journalists. 123 are locked up in China, together with 10 in Hong Kong (one hundred and fortieth), whereas 59 media professionals are behind bars in Myanmar; Syria (177th) stays the nation with the very best variety of journalists held hostage, with 38 to this point; Afghanistan (a hundred and seventy fifth) stands out for its rising media closuresillustrating elevated repression of the press; Mexico (124th) holds the document for the very best variety of lacking journalists, with 28 unsolved circumstances to this point.
7 territories flip brilliant pink Three East African international locations, Uganda (143rd), Ethiopia (145th) and Rwanda (146th), fell into the “very severe” class this 12 months. In Central Asia, the falling scores of Kyrgyzstan (144th) and Kazakhstan (141st) darkened the area. Within the Center East, Jordan (147th) fell 15 locations on account of legal guidelines that limit the press. Hong Kong (one hundred and fortieth) additionally turned pink, falling into the identical class as China (178th, down 6 locations), which is the world’s greatest jail for journalists.
11 international locations have a rating beneath 25/100 Egypt (a hundred and seventieth), Nicaragua (172nd) and Russia (171st) joined the listing of 11 international locations with a rating beneath 25/100, together with Turkmenistan (174th), Iran (176th), Afghanistan (a hundred and seventy fifth), Syria (177th) and Vietnam (173rd).
China (178th) and North Korea (179th) are again within the Index’s backside three international locations. Eritrea (a hundred and eightieth) has steadily became an data desert, a rustic the place 4 journalists are victims of the world’s longest detentions with out trial, together with Dawiwho has been locked up for 22 years.
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These international locations have probably the most repressive environments for press freedom, marked by omnipresent censorship, excessive violence towards journalists and the state’s near-total management over the dissemination of knowledge.
2 areas the place greater than half of the international locations are brilliant pink The vast majority of international locations within the Japanese Europe – Central Asia (EEAC) area and the Center East – North Africa (MENA) area seem in brilliant pink on the Index’s map, indicating that the circumstances for press freedom are notably tough.
Whereas MENA stays the lowest-ranked area on this planet, the EEAC area noticed the most important drop in total rating, with a rising variety of international locations in a “very severe” scenario, together with Kyrgyzstan (144th) and Kazakhstan (141st), which dropped into the class in 2025. Solely three international locations – Moldova (thirty fifth), Armenia (thirty fourth) and Ukraine (62nd) – escaped this crucial stage and should not in brilliant pink.
