The US has fallen behind Ukraine in terms of press freedom amid rising global autocracy, according to a new report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), UNN reports, citing Ars Technica.
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In RSF's authoritative 2026 World Press Freedom Index, Norway continues its decade-long leadership. Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Estonia also rank among the top ten. On the report's global map, the Nordic region stands out as the freest place on Earth for journalists; it is the only area of the map marked in green.
However, overall press freedom has declined. According to RSF, for the first time in history, "more than half of the world's countries now fall into the 'difficult' or 'very serious' categories regarding press freedom. In 25 years, the average score across all 180 countries and territories included in the Index has never been this low."
Negative changes are particularly noticeable in the Americas, where the situation has shifted significantly. The US now ranks 64th in the global rankings, dropping seven positions in a year. The US lags behind Namibia (23), South Africa (21), Costa Rica (38), and Canada (20). It has also fallen below war-torn Ukraine (55), which managed to improve its position by seven places over the year, the publication writes.
"In the United States (ranking 64th out of 180 countries and territories), journalists who were already struggling with economic hardships and a crisis of public trust—among other issues—now also face President Donald Trump's systematic weaponization of state institutions, including funding cuts for companies, interference in media ownership, and politically motivated investigations into disliked journalists and media outlets. Since his return to power, journalists have also been targeted during protests, reflecting a broader deterioration that represents one of the most serious press freedom crises in modern US history," the report states.
Asia is the only continent where full-scale repression of the press is practically commonplace, and most countries on the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) map are marked in bright red. With the exception of a few small states, notably South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, the Asia-Pacific region is "one of the most repressive regions in the world, and the situation continues to worsen," RSF declares.
Due to its size and the scale/quality of repression, China stands out here. It ranks 178th out of 180 countries in press freedom and is "the world's largest jailer of journalists, with more than 100 people currently in custody," RSF reports.
The only countries where the situation is worse are North Korea and Eritrea.
In 2025, press freedom deteriorated worldwide: Ukraine ranks 62nd in RSF ranking02.05.25, 12:35