Published May 03, 2026 | 3:47 PM ⚊ Updated May 03, 2026 | 3:47 PM
Over the last 12 years, India’s position in the World Press Freedom Index has steadily deteriorated.
Synopsis: India has been ranked 157th out of 180 countries in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders, which finds global press freedom at its lowest level in 25 years. The report highlights India as being at the forefront of the criminalisation of journalism, citing the misuse of legal provisions, including national security laws, to restrict reporting.
India is ranked 157th out of 180 countries in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders. The index finds that press freedom worldwide has declined to its lowest level in 25 years since it was first published in 2001, with more than half of all countries now classified under “difficult” or “very serious” conditions.
In particular, the index’s legal indicator, one of five criteria used to assess press freedom, measuring how far national laws and legal frameworks protect or restrict it, has seen the sharpest decline this year, with more than 60 percent of countries recording a drop between 2025 and 2026.
India is among the most notable of these countries, alongside Egypt (169th), Israel (116th) and Georgia (135th).
“The criminalisation of journalism, which is rooted in circumventing press law and misusing emergency legislation and common law, is proving to be a global phenomenon,” the report states.
Over the last 12 years, India’s position in the World Press Freedom Index has steadily deteriorated. In 2014, India was ranked 140 out of roughly 180 countries. It had its lowest ranking at 161 in 2023, before being placed 159 and 151 in 2024 and 2025 respectively.
Globally, Norway retained the top position for the tenth consecutive year, while Eritrea remained at the bottom for the third year. The United States fell seven places.
The report by Reporters Without Borders attributes the global decline to a combination of restrictive laws, political pressure, economic actors and under-regulated digital platforms. It notes that national security legislation is increasingly being used to limit reporting on issues of public interest in both authoritarian regimes and democracies, and finds that protection mechanisms for journalists are either ineffective or non-existent in more than 80 percent of countries analysed.
“Although attacks on the right to information are more diverse and sophisticated, their perpetrators are now operating in plain sight. Authoritarian states, complicit or incompetent political powers, predatory economic actors and under-regulated online platforms are directly and overwhelmingly responsible for the global decline in press freedom. Given this context, inaction is a form of endorsement,” RSF Editorial Director Anne Bocandé said in a statement accompanying the report.
“It’s no longer enough just to state principles – effective measures to protect journalists are essential and must be seen as a catalyst for change. This starts with ending the criminalisation of journalism: the misuse of national security laws, SLAPPs, and the systematic obstruction of those who investigate, expose and name names. Current protection mechanisms are not strong enough; international law is being undermined and impunity is rife.”
Armed conflict continues to be a major factor affecting press freedom in several regions, including Iraq, Sudan and Yemen. Eastern Europe and the Middle East remain among the most dangerous regions for journalists, with countries such as Russia (172nd) and Iran (177th) ranking near the bottom.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
