Russia has slipped even further down the press freedom rankings

The World Press Freedom Index is compiled annually by the international non-governmental organisation Reporters Without Borders. In the latest ranking, Russia sits below China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and Eritrea. Belarus ranks slightly higher, in 165th place.

Owing to the large number of detained media workers, Russia is described in the report as the “second-largest prison for journalists in the world”. According to Reporters Without Borders, 48 journalists were in custody in Russia as of April 2026. Those who wished to continue working freely in the profession have been forced into exile, yet even this has not fully ensured their safety, as legal persecution does not stop at Russia’s borders, the report notes. It also highlights that the authorities make use of laws on extremism and terrorism to target the press.

Overall, for the first time in the history of the World Press Freedom Index, more than half of the world’s countries (52.2%) fall into the categories of a “problematic” or “very serious” situation for media freedom. In the very first ranking published by Reporters Without Borders in 2002, that figure stood at 13.7%. The authors note that over 25 years of observation, the global average score has “never been so low”. A decline in press freedom has been recorded in 100 out of 180 countries and territories.

Only seven Northern European countries are classified as having a “good” situation. Norway tops the ranking, followed by Netherlands, Estonia, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Ireland. Around 30 other countries are rated as having a “satisfactory” situation.

Reporters Without Borders also points to a worrying trend in the United States, which has dropped seven places to 64th position. This decline is attributed to the fact that Donald Trump “made regular attacks on the press and journalists part of his systematic practice,” the organisation states.